


The Yellow Phantom

by knaps_docx



Category: Free!
Genre: Crime Fighting, Enemies to Lovers, Forbidden Love, Gangs, Heavy Angst, M/M, Mentions of Yakuza, Modern Era, Police, Sexual Tension, Street Gang - Alternative Universe, Threats, Tokyo (City), Violence, aggressive flirting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:14:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 37,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22741585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/knaps_docx/pseuds/knaps_docx
Summary: They didn’t mean to meet, being on opposite sides of a three way war. They didn’t mean to lean on each other out when the situation turned dire. They didn’t mean to fall in love.Tokyo was at war with itself. The two major street gangs, Second Uradome Yellows and the Abyss, seemed to be at each other’s throats more and more with each passing day. Tokyo’s Police Department wasn’t sure what they could do to stop the violence, but something needed to be done before bodies began piling up. Matsuoka Rin, rookie cop from Nowhere, Japan, didn’t seem like the right answer, or fit for that matter, but when he finds himself in a meeting between two gangs and escapes without a scratch, suddenly he’s the one everyone is turning to for answers.Answers he doesn’t have.But someone he accidentally met that fateful night might hold the key; Tokyo’s number one criminal ghost, the Yellow Phantom.
Relationships: Matsuoka Rin/Nanase Haruka
Comments: 43
Kudos: 81
Collections: #ficwip Valentine's Day exchange





	1. The Meeting

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sapphiresflame](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sapphiresflame/gifts).



> My #ficwip server Valentines Day gift to the lovely Sapphie who deserves the world and more! I've always wanted to write a street gang au, so I apologize for my lack of restraint. I maybe let it get a little out of hand this time around. *cringes*
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!!
> 
> Also, HUGE shoutout to Eos who beta'd this work into oblivion. She also deserves the whole world. Thanks a million and more. <3

_Part 1 – The Meeting_

Friday, March 31st

10:13 PM

The ball of ice shifted in the brown liquid as the glass was tipped up to Haru’s lips. The whiskey burned his throat sending a splay of warmth down his chest. Not a single facial feature revealed the inadequate taste. Carefully setting the empty cup back onto the mahogany bar, Haru tilted his chin at Natsuya for a refill. The bartender would get an earful later. He had guts giving him a taste of something off the bottom shelf.

“Something a little stronger this time,” Haru sighed, pinching his raven eyebrows together in a vain attempt to remove the stress building there. The aftertaste felt like a flame of heat expelling out of his mouth in a blistering column with every word. Fighting the urge to pass another snarky comment toward Natsuya, Haru reminded himself it was hardly the time to bring it up. In an undisclosed amount of time, a group of punk ass thugs from the Abyss gang would casually slide into the bar looking for them. They had business to settle that made Natsuya’s poor taste in whiskey seem rather childish.

It was then Haru chose to scan the bar. He made eye contact with as many of his tight-knit friends that belonged to Natsuya’s gang along with him. Call it a security check or something to calm his nerves, Haru wasn’t sure, but it did make him feel a little better about the whole thing.

Tachibana Makoto was minding the door, greeting new customers and keeping an eye, and ear, out for any new information passed between patrons. He nodded with a small grin, a gesture that meant they were still in the clear. Ryugazaki Rei was in charge of the tables. His purple stare met Haru’s through his red rimmed glasses. Serious as the situation was, he smiled at the customers and showed no sign as to the danger they were all about to be in. Serizawa Nao was Haru’s second mom, his job was to keep everyone in line when the boss couldn’t handle it, which was practically all the time. He was, as far as Haru knew, in the back overseeing the cook, Hazuki Nagisa. Nagisa, a bright bundle of sunflowers, was laughing at a joke someone made in the back, his cheerful voice reverberated around the bar reminding everyone that you could always find light in the darkest of times. Kirishima Natsuya was their leader and owner of the bar they all practically grew up in. He was usually the asshole bartender of the night. Though his leadership skills were subpar to Haru’s standards, he was the dad they all needed when push came to shove. Together they formed the Second Uradome Yellows which was named after the place they were all from.

How did the six of them all manage to conglomerate within the high rising walls of Tokyo? Well, that was a very interesting story for another time.

The real reason they were on edge, antsy, and anticipating a rough meeting with the Abyss gang was because of their seventh member – Kirishima Ikuya. He was Natsuya’s younger brother and had recently had a falling out with the group. Unsure of the argument that started it all, Haru only knew that that was the moment Ikuya slowly became more distant with everyone, including Haru who happened to be the one person he could always come to and confide in within their small family. They were close, a bond stronger than blood formed between them, and yet he still turned his back on the home they all tried to provide.

After a few weeks of intense worrying, they found out the Abyss recruited him. Not only that, but they were making him do their dirty work, things that would easily land Ikuya in jail if he was caught. Natsuya did his best to reach out, find common ground to work out an agreement where he could bring his brother home again, which initially led to violence before they could agree on that night’s meeting. No one was really sure what would happen. The two gangs had been at war for some time. Haru was expecting the worst, Ikuya severing his last few bonds with the group before turning his back for the final time. But even he wasn’t sure. All he knew was it was very uncharacteristic for the Abyss to want to meet on their turf like this, and Natsuya, blinded by the love he had for his brother, was ignoring all the blatant signs of war.

“Maybe water will teach you how to drink like a proper gentleman,” came Natsuya’s esteemed reply which severed Haru’s train of thought as he pushed a glass of ice water down the bar. The condensation allowed it to skim across the smooth surface where it stopped directly in front of Haru. “If you’re going to drink here for free, you’ll be getting the cheap whiskey.”

“Okay, _mom_ ,” Haru hissed under his breath, pushing the water away from him as he sulked.

“Don’t give me that look, kiddo,” Natsuya said, refilling his tumbler with the same damn whiskey he gave to Haru in the first place. “You know I can’t stand it when you turn into a brat.”

Picking up the nearest projectile he could find, Haru chucked a plastic stirring straw toward the mouthy bartender who only laughed at his futile attempt. As predicted, it bounced off of his tight bicep, covered only by a black long-sleeved shirt, and unceremoniously fell to the floor where it stayed. God forbid Natsuya cleaned anything until the night was over. As his own boss, he could choose to do that if it pleased him. It pissed Haru off, and maybe that was exactly why Natsuya ran the bar the way he did.

Haru took the glass and downed the drink in one go. If Natsuya insisted bottom shelf whiskey, then he would drink it the only way bottom shelf whiskey should be drank. The glass clinked as it connected with the bar again, the ball of ice swirling inside its clear prison. For a few moments Haru watched as it slowly melted. Condensation appeared on the outside of the glass. It clung to it itself before forming droplets that slid their way down to the bottom rim where it left a perfect circlet when Natsuya picked it up.

“Rough day?” someone asked from a few seats down. Haru turned toward him. The man who spoke, well built, strong looking in nature, dark maroon hair that cascaded across his face framing his smile perfectly, was ordering him a drink. Eyes flashing to Natsuya, Haru watched as the bartender calmly fished out two new glasses, dropped a new ball of ice into both of them, pulled whiskey from a higher shelf only to fill two glasses with the same stuff all while refusing to make eye contact with him. The humor in his expression was absent and it set Haru on edge.

Slightly dumbstruck, Haru mouthed, “Like you wouldn’t believe,” before flashing the man a smile and taking a sip of the whiskey. It warmed his entire body leaving a smooth finish that reminded him of home. “Much better.”

“I’m sorry?” the generous patron asked again, not catching what Haru had whispered under his breath. They were four seats away from each other and the background noise was drowning him out.

“It’s good. Thank you,” Haru repeated, louder.

“I’m Rin by the way.”

“Haru.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Haru,” Rin said, sliding off his seat to scoot a few barstools closer. “Mind if I join you?”

“What if I said I did mind?” Haru asked, slightly annoyed that Rin had done so anyway. It hardly mattered. Just as long as he was out of the bar by the time the Abyss made their appearance. Even a perfectly timed bathroom visit wouldn’t be so bad. But the minute Haru laid eyes on his maroon stare, a bad feeling sucker punched him in the gut that was quickly followed by a small round of nausea that dimmed and blurred the lights in the room. It was all Haru could do to keep himself upright for a few moments until the feeling passed. Fuck, he shouldn’t have taken that last drink as a shot.

After leaving his jacket on the nearby seat and finding a comfortable position on his barstool, Rin smiled at him. “Honestly, I’d be a little disappointed, but I understand. Some strangers are,” he paused as he searched for a word, “better suited at arm’s length.”

What an interesting choice of words.

And an unusual hair color.

Natsuya was cheerfully on the other end of the bar helping a couple that sat down. His eyes had that sparkle to them again. Haru turned back toward Rin, suddenly curious if the same feeling that struck Haru was the reason Natsuya became somber a few moments ago. He was always so cautious about who his brats, Natsuya’s choice of pronoun, could meet, especially at times like this when distractions needed to be at an all time low. However, something about Rin was bothering him. Unsure if it was a good or bad thing, Haru chose to ignore the small voice of reason in his head telling him to forget about the kind gentleman who bought him a drink and continue worrying about what would happen when the Abyss walked through the door.

Haru replied after taking another sip, “Truthfully, a little company doesn’t sound so bad.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Rin smiled, taking a drink as well. Haru took note that the amber liquid in his drink didn’t seem to disappear at all. Rin was nursing his drink too, a man after his own heart. “So, where are you from?”

Haru nearly choked. So blunt. Carefully setting his glass down on the bar and turning to Rin to reply, Haru heard Natsuya clear his throat as the bell above the front door chimed. Someone was entering. As Haru was turning to see who, he caught a glimpse of Rin stiffening out of the corner of his eye, body instinctively moving to a position where he could easily jump out of his chair if needed, yet still looked comfortable enough to blend in.

It was as if Haru’s entire body caught fire. He finally understood why he felt so strange when their eyes met earlier.

“Fucking hell, you’re a _cop_?!” he hissed, eyes glancing at the men entering the bar before falling back onto Rin. They met unsteady waters. He turned his head away. Questions overwhelmed his thoughts. Who ratted them out? Why were the cops suddenly involved? Did the Abyss have their hands onto a few higher ups in the police department? Is that why they had been getting away with the bullshit they were doing?

Rin said, defensively, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” His eyes were trailed on the small number of people entering the bar. Haru counted them, five in total. Shiina Asahi was the first to enter, followed quickly by Shigino Kisumi. Both were expected to be armed and dangerous. Sasabe Goro stood by the door with his arms crossed over his chest next to a shaken Makoto. And last but not least, their esteemed leader, Tono Hiyori, the main jackass himself, strolled through the door with Ikuya on his heels. Who knew how many more were outside waiting to see if there were any runners. Haru got a very distinct feeling this wasn’t going to be any sort of treaty but rather blatant kindling to start a war.

“May I ask all of you to please leave the bar. It’s a private event tonight,” Hiyori said, his voice projecting throughout the small space, “and I don’t want anyone getting hurt.”

Murmurs filled the air as people began whispering between themselves. Unsure as to what was going on, not too many people made any sudden moves to leave.

“I’ll ask again,” Hiyori repeated, raising his chin toward Asahi who pulled a gun from his waistband and shot two rounds into the ceiling. “Everyone, get out.”

Panic induced and afraid, people started falling to the ground before running to the door. After a few minutes, only a few stragglers were left behind. Rin had dropped himself out of sight, a typical cop maneuver, but refrained from leaving. Haru wished he would’ve. This was no place for the police, and he’d hate to see him die.

“Lock the door.”

Following his boss’ order, Goro locked the door and closed the blinds to the street.

“I’d say we have approximately seven minutes and thirty five seconds before the cops start swarming this place,” Hiyori began, approaching the bar. “You wanted a meeting? Well, here’s your meeting.”

“Would you boys like something to drink? It’s on the house.” Natsuya asked, his voice lathered with a false sense of calm. He was digging for more glasses as he spoke. Haru was sure he was peeved he’d now have to fix two bullet holes in his ceiling. It was a slight relief knowing no one would’ve been hit by them. Since most of his brotherhood lived on the second floor, it was easy to confirm the loft empty by who was occupying the main floor, which at this moment, was everyone.

“Natsuya,” Ikuya threatened, his voice low. Even now they were patronizing each other.

“It’s not too often we have such _esteemed_ guests, now is it?” Natsuya said in reply, his voice catching a sharp edge that strained his face into an unreadable expression.

“Cut the bullshit, Natsuya,” Hiyori replied, stopping just shy of the bar. Haru was within an arm’s reach of him, his steeled blue eyes watching his every move like a hawk. “We’re down to six minutes and fifteen seconds. Is there anything you want to say before we blow this joint?”

“I told you I want Ikuya back,” Natsuya began, cleaning off the bar with a towel with a sense of calm Haru knew was about to turn deadly, “State your terms.”

“An eye for an eye, boss,” Kisumi called from the back of the bar, purposefully dropping a glass he’d found on an abandoned table onto the floor. It shattered into pieces that skipped across the uneven wooden floorboards in a wide radius around him.

“We–”

“Truth is, Natsuya,” Hiyori said, cutting Natsuya off almost instantaneously, “I listened to your plea bargain. I even went to the lengths of meeting on your turf. But the truth is, we’re just not interested in finding common ground. We aren’t here for negotiations. We’re here for recruitment.”

“We’re not interested,” Nao’s soft voice came from the door to the kitchen. Nagisa was standing in front of him gripping onto a frying pan so hard his knuckles were white. “Please see yourself out before the cops arrive. It’s not every day they get to arrest members of the Abyss, though I’m sure the jail cells will welcome you back with open arms. Lucky for you to have brought all your members here together in one place. Now, turn around and walk out. I take it you don’t need help finding the door?”

“Shut it, Nao,” Ikuya pestered, his small voice rising above the rest. All eyes seemed to turn to him as he spoke. Though instead of meeting each cold stare with his own gaze, his amber eyes fell onto only one person in the room. Everyone seemed to follow his line of sight as his voice called, “Haru?”

Haru swallowed, his chest tight. Everyone was now looking at him as if he were about to do some horrific crime. This was almost worse than the beginnings of war. Ikuya singlehandedly placed him in the toughest position to be in and didn’t have an ounce of shame because of it. Not only that, but he was transparently asking Haru to join them in front of their entire group. It was a deliberate attack of morale intended to discombobulate the entire Second Uradome Yellows. If he said yes, the Yellows would terminate, dissolve into nothing. But if he said no…

The thought sent a strange shiver down his spine.

Throughout the entire encounter, Haru hadn’t moved a single muscle. His body felt stiff as he rotated his barstool back toward the bar. Biding his time, he took his mostly unfinished drink and downed it in one go. Saddened to see it disappear so quickly, he set the glass carefully back onto the counter and began to roll up his sleeves revealing a turquoise, blue, and green conglomerate of scales tattooed from his left wrist up. The entire room was watching him now, waiting to hear his answer. When they were three quarters rolled up his forearms, Haru turned back to Ikuya. If he had been counting right, there was only a minute before the cops would arrive. Two at the most.

“You heard Nao. We’re not interested. Don’t let the door hit you on your way out.”

Hiyori pulled a gun from his waistband which effectively caused a cascading reaction and suddenly everyone but Haru had their guns pointed at each other.

“He wasn’t asking,” Hiyori stated, pressing the cold, metal muzzle of his gun into Haru’s temple.

“Sure sounded like plea to me,” Nagisa said defiantly, still clenching his frying pan in one hand and his pistol in the other.

“Out. Now,” Natsuya said, his loud voice booming around the space.

There was a tap on the glass door. Goro, still holding his gun toward Makoto, unlatched the door and opened it a crack. Whispers were shared before the door was shut and locked tightly again, the bell chiming happily with the slight movement.

“The cops are thirty seconds out,” was Goro’s synopsis.

“I hate to kill any of you, but he’s coming with us,” Hiyori said again, his voice at the same monotonous tone it had been from the minute he walked through the door.

Haru slid to his feet. The entire room seemed to shift apprehensively. For some unknown reason, his eyes fell onto the cop still hiding in the shadows. He must’ve been some lucky kid not been seen by anyone. Cautiously watching, analyzing from the shadows like a good detective would. He was clutching his gun, but their eyes met. Rin was calm, which came as a real surprise to Haru.

In some ways, it helped radiate calm upon himself.

“Don’t lie. You’d love to sink your bullet into any one of us,” Haru said, leaving Rin’s comforting gaze to turn upon Hiyori. He was now dangerously looking down the barrel of an enemy gun and hadn’t made the slightest attempt to reach for his own.

Hiyori laughed. “Calling me out in the predicament you’re in. Brave, I’ll give you that. But stupid. Ikuya had his reasons for wanting you to join us, and I have my own. But maybe putting a bullet through your skull would be the lesser of two evils. My men could finally sleep at night knowing you’re not lurking in the shadows anymore, though it would be a waste of natural talent.”

“Hiyori,” Nao warned from the doorway. Tensions were rising.

“What do you say? Eh, Nanase?”

In a single swift movement, Haru grabbed Hiyori’s wrist and pushed his gun toward the ceiling before taking a fistful of his hair and swinging his entire body toward the counter. Hiyori’s head connected with the mahogany which produced a gut wrenching bang that shattered his glasses. Impulsively, Hiyori’s finger squeezed the trigger sending bullets ricocheting around the room. People dodged behind the booths, upturned tables to form makeshift cover. Even Natsuya ducked below the bar.

Haru pushed Hiyori toward the ground where he crumpled into a fetal position to nurture his injured face. The few moments of silence, other than Hiyori’s groaning, that followed were quickly filled with police sirens. Red flashing lights scattered across the room through the small cracks in the blinds.

“Cops!” someone yelled from the rear sending a different kind of panic throughout the room. People were suddenly scrambling for the door. A hand landed on Haru’s shoulder. Turning violently, he met Nao’s soft expression. He didn’t need to say anything.

Go. Now.

Without hesitating, Haru rounded the corner and busted through the kitchen with the rear door in his sights. They weren’t close enough to have set up a perimeter, but Nao and Haru both knew he couldn’t risk getting caught. There were far too many questions still hanging in the air. He had to do what he did best, finding the truth.

Pushing open the back door, Haru stumbled into the alley where a cold draft smacked him like a brick wall. A cat screeched from the sudden noise before darting to a safe place behind the dumpster. The same red lights that seeped into the bar were flashing against the brick from police cars near the front of the building. It created a strange ambiance that Haru used to his advantage. His eyes immediately fell to his surroundings, but before he could formulate an optimal escape route, the door behind him burst open.

“Put your hands up!” Rin cried, brandishing his gun around like a school kid.

Haru rolled his eyes, amazed the Tokyo Police Department hired a rookie like him. Ignoring his demand, Haru ran toward the small concrete outcropping that separated the bar from the building next door and extended his hands out for the flat surface. His ticket to safety. Before he could reach it, a body slammed into him, tackling him to the ground.

“You’re under arrest,” Rin began, fiddling for a pair of handcuffs.

“Like hell,” he spat, wiggling free of Rin’s temporarily loose grip. Using his feet, Haru pushed into Rin’s hips, launching Rin off of him. He stumbled to his feet and leapt onto the outcropping. This time, he wasn’t going to be stopped by the likes of a rookie cop. Using the surrounding adjuncts and balconies hidden by the moving shadows to his advantage, Haru shimmied up the building. It wasn’t until he reached the roof when he finally looked to see if Rin was following.

In the red light, Rin’s stare was on fire. It burned a hole through him that seemingly sucked the very breath out of his lungs. He could feel a sudden burden on his shoulders, something he attributed to the out of body experience he was undergoing. This wasn’t the last time he would see Rin. In fact, he felt a sudden, unbreakable tether tying them together.

“You’re him, aren’t you?” Rin asked from the ground when Haru began to turn away. “The Yellow Phantom?”

Haru froze, his hand gripping the damp concrete wall that safely lined the roof of the building he scaled. Did he dare look back again? He found his mind gravitating toward him with a force he wasn’t strong enough to fight. Their eyes met again. Silence spread between them, but it didn’t matter. The answer was clearly written across Haru’s face sharpened by the harsh light from the police cars.

More policemen rounded the corner yelling at Rin to give them some sort of report of the situation inside. It seemed to break the connection rooting Haru in place. He backed into the shadows, made sure no one saw him, and disappeared into the night with a single thought of where he’d go until the situation died down.


	2. Tokyo's Finest

_Part 2 – Tokyo’s Finest_

Thursday, March 30th

8:45AM

Approximately 24 Hours Earlier

“What do we have on this guy?” Rin asked, eyeing the few bulletin boards full of pictures, newspaper clippings, arrest reports, even parking tickets of the ten known members of the two rival gangs of Tokyo Metropolis. There were six names listed under ‘Second Uradome Yellows,’ or Yellows as the police liked to call them, and only four under those called ‘Abyss.’

A seventh name was scribbled at the top of the bulletin board directly underneath the Yellows. And that was the one Rin was asking about, the Yellow Phantom, which had been circled at least six times in bright red ink. The only information tied to that name was a small sticky note that read, ‘scale tattoo down left arm’ followed by two question marks as if the person who wrote it wasn’t remotely sure of himself.

“Calm down, rookie. You aren’t ready for the real deal yet,” his chief, Mikoshiba, called from across the room before sinking his teeth into his breakfast burrito he picked up on his way into work. Hot sauce poured over his fingers which was promptly licked off. He’d recently nuked it in the microwave to ‘give the eggs some life,’ or so he said, since they were already 45 minutes into their workday. It smelled like dirty socks to Rin and no amount of microwaving was going to help that.

“Look, Rin,” Yamazaki Sousuke, Rin’s partner, began in an exhaustive tone, giving Rin an idea of where this conversation was heading, “I know you’re eager to jump into some of these cases, but you’re too green for these guys. They’ll sniff you out like a pack of dogs, chew you up, and leave your bones in a dumpster for us to find in a few weeks. We’ve got plenty of other cases for you to handle, and at least six parking violations where the perp took off before our men could issue them a ticket. The boss has this well under wraps–”

“I know, I know,” Rin despaired, turning his nose up to Mikoshiba who was now digging through his to-go bag for another cold burrito. “I just think I could be of some use to you guys with this one. You know, a fresh mind and a new set of eyes?”

“Be patient, young grasshopper,” Mikoshiba interjected once more. His eyes fell to his younger brother, Mikoshiba Momotaro, who he promptly called over to have him microwave his second burrito despite Momo having his hands full of paperwork intended for someone across the department. After a few minutes of them arguing, a stack of papers now occupied the corner of Mikoshiba’s already untidy desk and Momo was sulking off toward the break room with a soggy burrito in one hand. He turned his golden stare back to Rin. “You’ll have plenty of opportunities to hit it up with the big guns around here, but for now, you’re stuck on grunt work until you’ve earned your stay. Then we can talk.”

“But–”

“Shh, zip those lips, rookie. We don’t like whiners.”

Rin’s hands rolled into fists, his knuckles blanching white. He understood Tokyo’s two infamous street gangs were dangerous, deadly even, but they posed a lot of good which have kept them away from police radar for a while. It wasn’t until recently when things began turning south. Something had sparked violence between gangs, and it looked as though there would be no end to the chaos. Cases were reopened and reexamined. Specialists were called in a vain attempt to find loopholes through the justice system that could allow these men to be put behind bars once and for all. They were desperate to find a way to rid them from Tokyo’s streets, but they were far too good at slipping away when the police came knocking. Nothing had changed over the last few years, the police work was the same, the decisions were all the same. It came as no surprise the department couldn’t drop the hammer on the two groups even after all of this time; they were too set in their ways.

Taking a calming breath, Rin began again, “You haven’t answered my question, Sousuke. What do we have on this guy?”

Mikoshiba was too occupied with the return of his brother to interrupt again, so Rin’s attention was entirely drawn upon his partner. Sousuke sighed, not at all pleased with how energetic and ambitious Rin was. “The bastard is a ghost. That’s all there is to know.” He turned to leave but Rin stood in his way with a defiantly stern look on his face.

“Our boss said if I had any questions, you’d be more than happy to answer them.”

“About the job, rookie.”

Rin raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest feeling no need to back down from this fight. This was the only way he was going to get any answers around here, and Sousuke was about to be pulled through hell if it meant getting them. “If you answer my questions, I’ll drop the whole thing.”

Sousuke sighed again and motioned for Rin to follow him to the nearest spare office. After shutting the door behind him, Sousuke began, “The Yellow Phantom has been the bane of the Tokyo Police Department for the last five years. He’s never been seen, never been caught, and yet he still threatens the very backbone of society we strive to uphold every day. Order.”

“But that sticky note said something about–”

“A fish scale tattoo on his left arm? Yeah. The last cop to cross paths with him was sliced across the face with a knife the bastard was carrying. Cut clean across the eyes. By the time the paramedics had reached him, he was sputtering words like nonsense. He kept repeating ‘fish scale tattoo’ and pointed at his left arm, but before we could calm him down enough to properly interrogate him, he died.”

Rin’s hand instinctively went to his mouth. The blunt violence connected with the name was shocking to say the least. It wasn’t at all what the media had made him out to be. Some unknown vigilante delivering money to the poor and food to the hungry. He took from the wealthy and gave it to the needy. If anything, he sounded like a modern rendition of Robin Hood from the books he read as a kid. At least that’s how he’d come to know the Yellow Phantom.

Not a murderer.

“There wasn’t enough evidence to tie anyone to the officer’s death. Not like we’ve had any luck tracking him down. It’s a lucky break. Eventually it’ll run out, and we’ll be here when it does.”

A knock sounded on the door followed by a muffled, “Are you two done making out? The boss is looking for a technician to do a wiretap on the bar’s phone line. The one the Yellows are always hanging around?”

“We’ll be there in a minute,” Sousuke called, rubbing a hand along the back of his neck. “I guess you’re going to get a little screen time in after all, rookie. Are you sure you’re ready for this? Good cops have gone into this mess headfirst and haven’t come back the same.”

The truth had hit Rin in different levels, each eliciting a reaction that was different and new to his senses. From the shocking truth of the violent nature of the media made hero, the Yellow Phantom, to realizing he was going to get a taste of what it was like fighting street gangs turned rampant. His nerves were on high alert, body tense. Sweat was dripping from his temples, an anxious tick he wished he could rid himself of. The idea of catching them and putting them all behind bars was thrilling. Was it going to be worth losing his life over? Because Sousuke was certainly making him doubt his skills in the matter.

“Coming, Rin?” Sousuke was at the door with his teal stare boring into him. It was now or never.

“Absolutely.”

He followed Sousuke’s heels back into the chaos of the police department. The order must’ve just come from one of the higher ups. People were scrambling trying to get equipment together, teams ready to monitor the phone lines. It was as if an animal had escaped the zoo and everyone was trying to prepare to hunt it down.

Mikoshiba stopped them almost immediately handing Sousuke a piece of paper and keys as he did. “You and Matsuoka are to get in contact with the phone company so they can put a tap on that wire. You’re then to take the van, make sure all the equipment is adequately functioning, and wait for further orders. I would recommend getting some lunch because it’s sounding like you’ll have first shift. Copy?”

“Copy,” Sousuke said before sparing a single look at Rin to make sure he was still following. He then continued on his way, straight for the door. Rin followed quickly on his heels, barely able to control his excitement. If only there was some way he could laugh in Mikoshiba’s face about his involvement. There was an ounce of aversion in his look as he was giving Sousuke his orders, and something about the way he didn’t look Rin in the eye.

It hardly mattered. He was on the case.

Sousuke and Rin hit the stairwell and they went down all the way to the bottom floor, pushed open the single, rusting door underneath a flickering fluorescent bulb, and entered the parking garage. His partner immediately pressed the button on the keys he received from Mikoshiba. Surprisingly, it unlocked an older, white surveillance van parked near the door. The chirp it made echoed around the concrete structure, sending an eerie call out into the nothingness of the morning until it melded with the continual hum of traffic from the road. Rin quickly jumped into the passenger seat and closed the door after him suppressing a smile. Sousuke wasted no time inserting the key into the van’s ignition and they were on their way in a few mere minutes.

The entire drive was silent. Rin had a lot of questions, but he also promised to drop the gang conversation when Sousuke filled him in on the Yellow Phantom. His eyes searched for answers on Sousuke’s face, but it was like he was staring at a brick wall. After a few minutes, he gave up. If there was something he needed to know, his partner would tell him. So instead, he soaked in all the details as they meandered their way through traffic to reach the phone company.

When they arrived, everything was already in order. The company had sent someone out to place the tap on the line due to a previously made phone call. Rin figured it was from one of the higher ups in the department. Though, he couldn’t help but wonder if they did this frequently with how smoothly everything was running. Just as the thought crossed his mind, Sousuke brandished the warrant he’d been handed. It reminded Rin they had the right to listen in on the calls even though, under normal circumstances, it was definitely illegal. The department wasn’t above the law, and that’s what was important.

“Let’s get some lunch before we settle in,” Sousuke suggested in a demanding sort of way. Rin nodded enthusiastically, still unable to curb the initial excitement of it all. Sousuke shook his head in the same exhaustive manner and motioned for Rin to continue to follow him. They went to the nearest convenience store, stocked up on food that could’ve easily lasted them a few days, and they were off again. This time their destination was the bar.

Sousuke began talking.

The bar was a commonly known location where the Yellows liked to hang out. It was smack dab in the middle of their territory, surrounded by like-sized buildings on every side, and was off the main road enough to attract the sort of crowd who didn’t ask questions. A perfect place for an operating base, Sousuke added, sharing his personal opinion on the matter. For whatever reason, Mikoshiba didn’t think it was their headquarters and that they had another location in plain sight which they used for business. Sousuke agreed with the second location aspect, but he felt that the bar had much more promise to be their operating base. It was easy to get in and out, housed a kitchen, and was owned by the very person running the gang, Kirishima Natsuya.

“Kirishima’s a loose cannon,” Sousuke continued as he pulled the van off the side of the road a block and a half away from the bar. He pointed a finger down the street where the awning above the front door could be seen. A neon light was hanging across the front of the building next door like a strange topper to the stripped fabric and Rin could almost picture the way it's annoying colors would bring a sort of deceptive cheer to the lifeless entrance. Rin turned back to Sousuke as he began shifting through the center council. He pulled out a handful of files and handed them to Rin. Quickly flipping through them, he realized there were names and pictures of all the faces of the Second Uradome Yellows adequately organized for viewing pleasure. The file on top was Natsuya’s.

“Stay away from him if you ever encounter these guys,” Sousuke warned, his finger pushing against a loose picture tucked into the center crevasse of the manila folder. It showed Natsuya standing behind the bar serving drinks with a smile on his face. “He’ll kill you without a second thought.” Rin swallowed. He looked harmless, like a good citizen of Tokyo, not a cop killer.

The van lurched further, and the bar disappeared out of view. Though they had to be close to the location of the wiretap, and thus the bar, the best opportunity for uncut phone calls was to stay well enough out of sight.

“What about the rest of them?” Rin asked, flipping to the next file. “Serizawa Nao,” he read aloud.

“The Yellow’s second leader and the real brains behind their operation. He’s the one who organizes charitable fundraisers that put them into the public’s eye as someone who does good for the city. Though they are incredibly generous, they are equally as diabolical. He’d hesitate to kill you, but if it’s to save one of his own, you’re a goner.”

Rin flipped to the next file as Sousuke found a deserted parking spot on the side of the road. “Tachibana Makoto. He’s a harmless fly. Cooperative with the police department to an extent and helps out mostly with the fundraisers and food drives. He’s one hell of a shot though. Stay out of his line of sight.”

“Ryugazaki Rei,” Rin began, taking note of his red glasses.

“Commander in chief next to Nao. We don’t know enough about him other than how incredibly smart he is. I’m certain he’s the reason we haven’t been able to arrest them as of yet.”

They took a small break to move to the back of the van. The entire setup was roaring and ready to go. Sousuke began to automatically connect the right lines together, and as he searched for the right frequency by headphone, he continued as Rin flipped to the next file.

“Kirishima Ikuya. As the name suggests, it’s Natsuya’s younger brother. He’s the quiet but deadly type. We’ve tried to negotiate with him in the past, but his brother would always step in. They have an unusual bond, those two. Not someone I’d mess with given the circumstances, especially if Natsuya is around.”

Sousuke dropped the headphones around his neck, a sign he found the right channel. “Ah, last but not least, Hazuki Nagisa. He’s by far the most interesting character you’d ever come across. Lighthearted and comical in nature, he’s quick to flip a switch and become a very dangerous weapons artist. He works in the kitchen at the bar, and I’m without a doubt certain he could use any of the tools he handles on a daily basis as a means to kill you.”

Rin had a strange image of him being strangled by a wooden spoon held by Nagisa. A hand instinctively went to his neck as he attempted to swallow the knot forming in the back of his throat. “You speak as though you’ve met them all personally.”

“I have. They’ve all been to jail a time or two. Though, the longest any one of them had spent there was a whopping grand total of ten days before we had to drop the case. We can’t ever seem to get them turned over to the prosecutor. And every time they strolled out of jail with a smile on their face and a darkness in their eyes that taunted us.” Sousuke unplugged his headphone jack and let the quiet static fill the air. It set Rin on edge.

“Don’t even get me started on the Abyss. They’re a hot mess of a gang to start out with. Did you know they used to be a part of the Second Uradome Yellows? They broke apart about three years ago and all hell has been breaking loose ever since.”

“No, I didn’t,” Rin admitted as Sousuke began digging for more files in the front of the van. His absence made Rin feel hollow inside. His eyes fell onto the manila folders he was holding. It was expected of him to remember the names and faces, but what he could never grasp was the chemistry behind it all; what made the Yellows who they were. From the outside, they were a bunch of kids with questionable backgrounds that came together when life was handing them garbage on a stick and have been surviving on a makeshift family ever since. The type of bond situations like that create isn’t something to simply glance over. It was thicker than blood. And with the public backing them up, who knew how long their gang would hold out against the police.

“Here’s the files on the Abyss. We only know four of their members, the ones that split from the Yellows.” Sousuke handed him four, rather thin, files with red tabs. Rin immediately flipped open the first. “Tono Hiyori,” Sousuke continued, “current leader and considered extremely dangerous. He used to be best friends with Ikuya growing up. Something happened between Tono and Natsuya though, which caused the fracture in the group. In the last three years, he’s become one of the most sought out of all the members of the Abyss, second only to the Yellow Phantom.”

Rin flipped to the next file as Sousuke began yet again. “Shiina Asahi is the crazy one out of their group. While similar to Nagisa, he has an aptitude for weapons. Like the Abyss’ dog, he’s one who carries loyalty on his shoulder. He wouldn’t be one to mess with but will likely try and negotiate before turning his gun toward you. Shigino Kisumi is the second in command and partial brains of their operation. On the outside he looks incredibly harmless, but he’s the one who would stab your eyes out in the middle of the night.

The static flickered causing a brief pause in the conversation. Rin and Sousuke turned their attention to the radio for a few moments and after they were certain nothing was happening, Rin turned back to Sousuke as he opened the last file.

“Last but not least, there’s Sasabe Goro. The official dad of the group. He keeps a very watchful eye over everyone there. If any one of them learned a skill lost in the daily life of the new century, they learned it from him. Con artist and thief, he’s taught them everything there is to know about skirting along the thin lines of the law. We’re certain the Yellow Phantom has taken a liking to his style of work and has created his very own version of it from the basis of his knowledge. Goro is the single reason we have a vigilante monster like him running around the streets of Tokyo without a worry in the world.”

“And yet, here we are,” Rin said, processing each word as Sousuke ran through every one of the members with him. An overview was just what Rin needed as he dipped his toes into the world of street gangs. There was still so much more he had to learn, and he knew he had to settle himself with being unable to know it all. There was history he’d never be able to comprehend, and the bond they shared.

“And yet, here we are,” Sousuke repeated.

The radio crackled again, this time with more life.

“Someone’s making a call,” Sousuke said, jumping to the volume dial. A red light blinked nearby, not only verifying a call was being made, but that the outgoing signal was being recorded. “Here, put these on,” Sousuke said, handing Rin a set of headphones. He immediately slipped them over his ears as his partner plugged in the jack for him. Before long, a voice could be heard.

_“It’s me, Natsuya. Can we set a time to meet and discuss negotiations?”_

A voice from the other end sighed with an apparent annoyed tone. Rin glanced at Sousuke who pushed his headphones into his ears to get a clearer sound.

_“I just want my brother back.”_

_“Listen carefully, Kirishima. Since you can’t seem to let him go, Ikuya has decided he wants to say goodbye once and for all. We’ll meet on your turf, we’ll listen to what you have to say, and you’ll let us walk. That’s the deal. If you go behind our backs on this, it’s game over for you and your pathetic underlings. Am I clear?”_

_“Crystal,”_ came Natsuya’s reply.

_“Tomorrow night.”_

_“Tomorrow night,”_ he repeated before the line went dead.

Sousuke dropped his headphones to his shoulders and sat in silence for a few moments. Rin couldn’t bear to ask any questions, though there were plenty to fill the gap spreading between them. In a single swoop, his partner had pulled his cell from his pocket and was calling Mikoshiba. Their chief picked up almost immediately.

“We got a hit,” Sousuke said, practically jumping out of his seat. He began digging for the laptop he kept on hand. “I’m going to send over the recording.” There was a moment of silence when Rin could hear Mikoshiba speaking and before long, Sousuke replied, “I don’t know. I think they know we bugged their line. It was strange. From what I could tell, Kirishima’s younger brother has joined the Abyss gang. They’re meeting to officially break the tie, but Natsuya isn’t ready to let go. They said the meeting place was inside the Yellow’s turf and that’s what has me questioning this whole thing. Why would they meet in Yellow territory when this is obviously a Yellow problem? Why not go to them to resolve the issue?”

There was more mumbling on the other line. Rin wished Sousuke could’ve put the call on speaker. Desperate to know what was transpiring between them, he forced himself to stay calm and wait. Besides, he didn’t want to miss any phone calls if one happened to go through. Especially when Sousuke was so visibly upset.

Their conversation lasted another few minutes, but it was mostly Sousuke listening to what Mikoshiba had to say. As he was doing that, he downloaded the recording to his computer and sent it over to Mikoshiba. Maybe he was listening to it before giving Sousuke and him more orders. Whatever the holdup was, it was becoming physically painful to sit and wait for Sousuke to hang up and fill Rin in. He took to eating his lunch in silence just for something to do.

“Sounds good. Umhmm…roger that. Okay, bye.” Sousuke pulled his cell from his ear and hit the red button to end the call. He looked at Rin and sighed.

“Are we going in to scope out the place?” Rin asked, unable to hold back a second longer. “We’ve got to get eyes in there somehow. This is monumental.”

“While you’re correct on the scale of this change of fortune as you may say, no, we are not going in. Not tomorrow, not ever. In fact, we were just told to sit here for a few more minutes until Mikoshiba’s self-appointed team gets here and relieves us from our duties. Someone else will be handling the surveillance.”

“What,” Rin spat, flabbergasted by the turn of events. His spirits instantly shattered.

“He doesn’t think we’ll get any more information from them. He wants us back in the office looking for potential meeting points in the Abyss territory.”

“You’re joking.” Rin put his food on the ground afraid he might drop what was left in a fit of accidental rage. He squared himself up to Sousuke and bluntly asked, “In the Abyss territory? You heard them. It’s going to be here. Tomorrow night.”

“And you heard me. I know it’s ridiculous, but we cannot blatantly disrespect a direct order from our superior. We’ve been tracking these guys for the past five years. We know their habits, their train of thought. Hell, we even know what they prefer for breakfast. I know it’s tough to back out now, but trust the judgement of your superiors, okay?”

Sousuke’s hand landed on Rin’s shoulder. He looked up at him, teal to maroon, and sighed. What could Rin say to that? What could he say to anything? He was a rookie cop who seemed to be in way over his head. As Sousuke put it, he was far too green for this sort of thing anyway. Maybe it was dumb luck he got put on this case, but he was there. And maybe that’s what he had to be thankful for. Was he really that wrong to suggest the obvious? Or what would happen if they followed through with it?

“Okay,” Rin found himself saying. It burned all the way out of his mouth before leaving a nasty aftertaste. Sousuke nodded and began packing up his laptop and getting the van ready for the next set of officers. They really were going back to the office. The thought saddened him. His first surveillance mission, successful he’d dare add, and they were bailing. Rin lost himself in Sousuke’s deliberate movements for a few moments as he tossed the conversation back and forth in his mind trying to decide what was the best option. The way he saw it, he could either follow Mikoshiba’s orders and stay as far away from this situation as possible, which would be so far out of the realm of death, he might live to be 100, or he could go in himself, despite what they had to say, and scope the situation out, maybe die, who knows. It was a far cry from being helpful if he was entirely wrong, but it was his night off. They couldn’t scrutinize him for being there despite the outcome.

A metallic knock resonated around them, pulling Rin from his thoughts.

“Ready?” Sousuke asked, grabbing his bag of food he never touched.

Rin nodded, deciding then and there he couldn’t just idly sit by. If death was going to greet him at the end of that road, then he’d just have to live with the fact that he did his best to get to that moment. Besides, it would only benefit the department with another set of eyes within the operation, or not. Any knowledge would be helpful knowledge no matter how great or small.

Rin smiled. “Yeah, I’m ready.”


	3. The Search for Answers

_Part 3 – The Search for Answers_

Saturday, April 1st

1:58 AM

“What in the fucking hell were you thinking?!” Mikoshiba was screaming. He had every right to be livid. Rin deliberately when behind his back and successfully pulled off a covert operation, alone, without receiving a single scratch, something the Tokyo Police Department had failed to do for the last five years. Granted, he would deny the fact it was any sort of operation. Perhaps at the right place at the right time would go over well.

Plausible deniability.

Mikoshiba slammed his fists on the table that separated them before running a hand through his red hair. Rin jumped from the noise. He’d never seen his chief so worked up. He took a deep breath, one that Rin hoped would calm his nerves a bit, before he spoke again.

“Start from the beginning. Tell us what happened.”

Four sets of eyes focused on Rin and suddenly the heat coming off the overhead fluorescents was becoming unbearable. The stuffy interrogation room had become their makeshift debriefing room just from the sheer amount of people wanting to know exactly how Rin had done it. They couldn’t fit five people into their normal office for postoperative questioning, so this was their best option. It was Momo’s idea, and Rin was suddenly beginning to resent Mikoshiba for inviting the extra tagalongs. But despite it all, Rin was far too wired from surviving a shootout to sleep and, as far as he was concerned, getting them out of his hair quickly would give him the opportunity to begin his own investigation.

Who was this Nanase Haru, and where was he?

“I was only getting a drink,” Rin began, taking a few swallows out of the bottle of water Ai had fetched for him.

He’d already decided on the way to the police station he’d accidentally leave Nanase out of the entire conversation. Not only could involvement from his team jeopardize his search, but if Nanase truly was the Yellow Phantom, he’d disappear from Rin’s grasp and they all might lose their lives trying to tighten their grip too hastily. Hunting him required precision and patience, something none of Rin’s colleagues had at the moment. Besides, he felt he owed him something. Whatever that something was, Rin figured he’d find out when he saw him again.

“At least, that’s how it all started,” Rin continued. “As I said previously, Kirishima Natsuya was behind the counter serving drinks. I didn’t speak to him other than to order and sat toward the end of the bar where I could easily make a run for the kitchen if things happened to go down in any way that could harm me. I wasn’t expecting them to be so violent, I wasn’t expecting any of it honestly.” Rin’s voice was slightly shaky, something he didn’t even realize until now. He’d survived some sort of emotional trauma and though he felt unharmed, his mind hadn’t quite reached that point.

“When did they show up?” Sousuke asked, trying to move the conversation along. He looked more tired than any of the others and showed his exhaustion by pinching the bridge of his nose. Briefly, Rin wondered if his actions worried him to this point, but when Mikoshiba sat down in front of him, he realized he probably worried all of them with his foolish actions. He thought it best to keep those reservations at bay. At least until the initial tidal wave washed over.

“About 11:45,” Rin recalled.

He’d entered the bar thirty minutes prior and within those thirty minutes he managed to buy the Yellow Phantom a drink and officially meet the infamous man behind the mask. The memory of Nanase’s shock mixed with regret and betrayal blatantly painted across his face the moment he realized Rin was a police officer was burned into Rin’s retinas. Those blue eyes held his distrust so clearly as Nanase had said, _“Fucking hell, you’re a_ cop _?!”_ Those words echoed like a broken record in Rin’s head. Over and over again, they continually brought him immense grief. Would things have changed if Nanase had realized sooner? Would the outcome have been altered dramatically? Would Rin even be alive?

Rin swallowed, pulling at the collar of his shirt. He’d bought a cop killer a fucking drink. He must’ve been out of his damn mind. Treading carefully, Rin persisted, “I’d only been at the bar for thirty minutes before they strolled through the door like they owned the place.”

“How many?” Mikoshiba asked.

Ai was in the corner frantically scribbling down the details in a notebook he held close to his chest. Every once in a while, he’d sneak a look at Rin as if he had to make sure the words really were coming out of his mouth. Sousuke was leaning against the back wall with his eyes on the floor as if he were pondering the gravity of the entire situation. Momo was sitting on the second chair in the room with one leg pulled up to his chest. He seemed mesmerized by the whole thing. And there was Mikoshiba. Angry eyes boring into him.

Gnawing on his cheek, Rin closed his eyes to his friends around him as he tried picturing the few moments before panic erupted in the form of several Abyss members casually walking through the door like they owned the place. After a few moments, he clearly answered, “Five. Shiina then Shigino, followed by Sasabe, Tono, and Kirishima Ikuya in that order. There were more outside watching for the police, but I don’t know how many. Asahi fired a few rounds into the ceiling to clear everyone out. I ducked out of view unnoticed by all of them somehow.” Even as Rin recalled that part of the story, it felt like a dream. There was no rhyme nor reason as to how or why he made it out of there alive. If Nanase had realized he was a cop sooner, he certainly would’ve perished. And yet, Nanase made no move to expose his location and occupation once he realized the truth. Instead, he chose to blindly trust Rin to stay out of their business, and Rin couldn’t get that thought out of his mind.

“Once everyone was out, Sasabe locked the door. They started a countdown before the police arrived and began negotiating. Though it wasn’t negotiating at all. The older Kirishima just wanted to get his brother back.” Rin paused for a moment, expelling a breath he didn’t quite realize he was holding. “Kirishima Ikuya betrayed him…betrayed them all. He’s working for the Abyss now. That meeting really was his final goodbye.”

A silence like none he’d ever experienced enveloped the entire room. The tension could’ve been cut with a knife. Unsteady looks met nervous glances. It spelled trouble. Trouble for the Yellows, trouble for the police, and trouble for the citizens accidentally caught in the crossfire. Everyone in the room understood Kirishima wasn’t going to just give up on his brother. He didn’t have the personality to roll over and take it. The two most notorious street gangs of Tokyo had declared war on each other, and somehow Rin managed to walk out alive.

As the reality dawned on Rin, Mikoshiba asked, “And then what happened?”

“Um,” Rin rubbed the back of his neck to clear his rampant thoughts and focus back on the debriefing, “as I said, they weren’t there for negotiations. They wanted recruits. Tono was giving them a chance to join the Abyss, but no one did. Before anything else could happen, the police arrived, one of the Yellows attacked one of the Abyss, guns began firing, and I ran. I ran through the kitchen and out the back where I happened upon more police.”

“And yet, somehow, everyone but two lower level grunts of the Abyss got away and all of the Yellows were kind enough to stick around and give us statements.” The way Mikoshiba phrased it sounded like he was placing the blame on Rin’s shoulders, as if he was the reason for their escape.

Rin shook his head. Even if he did know how Tono and the others inside the bar managed to slip away, he would’ve been more than accommodating to solve the riddle. At this point, after witnessing exactly the kind of violence Tono leaned toward in situations that weren’t going his way, Rin wished they were all safely behind bars.

“Sounds like the Yellows are scared,” Momo spat, feeling relevant at last by utilizing the pause in conversation to get his opinion out. “You said it yourself, they stuck around to give statements. Most gang members would’ve run. Guilt could’ve easily been placed on either side. Yet, they decided to stay and set the story straight. As far as they’re concerned, there were no witnesses.”

“It played to their benefit,” Sousuke mused, sighing heavily.

“All of the _known_ members of the Second Uradome Yellows gave us statements,” Mikoshiba emended. “They Yellow Phantom is still at large, and god knows if he joined the Abyss or not. If what Rin is saying is the god awful truth, then…”

“It _is_ true,” Rin restated. He felt no remorse leaving what he knew about Nanase out of the conversation. There was no way he was joining the Abyss. He made that abundantly clear when he stood up to Tono Hiyori. The gut-wrenching crack of his head hitting the bar still churned Rin’s stomach. Taking a few more swallows of water to flush the sensation away, Rin looked back to the rest of his team as they pondered what sort of action they should be taking next.

Mikoshiba cleared his throat and began the interrogation again, “Do you remember anything specific they said, words they exchanged? Did you see anyone you didn’t recognize? Anything at all that could help us find some answers or lead us to the Yellow Phantom?”

“I…” Rin began and immediately bit his tongue. He had to be exceptionally careful in his choice of words. He was treading on thin ice and any misstep could end him six feet under. If it was his final intention to keep Nanase out of the police’s ever-watchful eye for a few more hours, then he had to exercise extreme caution. “Tono did mention putting a bullet through the Phantom’s skull. He thought his men would be able to sleep better at night.”

A pained sigh escaped Mikoshiba’s lips as he leaned back into his chair. At that moment, Ai had finished writing his notes and looked up at Rin. For some reason those light blue orbs were the eyes he met first. He was nervous. As Rin panned the room, he realized all of them were. Guilt began budding in the folds of his stomach causing it to knot helplessly. Maybe he should come clean and tell them the truth. What harm could it do? Other than potentially losing sight of the Yellow Phantom forever.

“Rin? Do yourself a favor and go home.” All heads swiveled to Sousuke after his words had a few seconds to soak in.

“I’m not done–” Mikoshiba began but when Sousuke raised his hand, he silenced at once.

“It’s two thirty in the morning. We’re tired. Rin’s at his limit. Let’s all just go home, get some sleep, and worry about this in a few hours after we’ve all had some time to digest the news.”

“Sleep is good for the memory,” Ai piped from the back, interrupting a large yawn from Momo.

Mikoshiba was met with a solid opposition. It didn’t take him long to make a collective decision. The chair squealed against the hard floor as he pushed himself away from the interrogation table. “Fine. You’re all dismissed. But I want to see you all tomorrow morning at nine o’clock sharp for a continuation. I hope that’ll be enough to jog more of your memory.” He turned toward Rin; amber eyes unwavering as he stood to his full height.

Rin met his stare equally. “Yes, sir.”

At once they all filed out of the room. Rin got to his feet, collected his water bottle but purposefully left his coat and followed them out. He walked with them all the way to the parking garage when he decided to put his plan in motion. The cold was a good triggering reminder anyway.

“Ah, I left my coat in the office!” Rin called attempting to sound upset. His breath formed in a tight mist around his face as the words echoed around the concrete. They all turned to look at him as if he were losing his mind.

“Hurry along then,” Mikoshiba replied. “Don’t expect us to wait around for you. It’s fucking cold out.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Rin hissed under his breath as he waved them all goodbye. Gripping the thin fabric covering his arms, Rin retraced his steps, climbed the four flights of stairs back to the main entrance, scanned his ID card, and reentered the silent office. Every light was off but the emergency fluorescents that hummed through the quiet. After a quick glance to make sure he was alone, Rin went for his coat. After slipping it over his shoulders, he stopped at his desk. After that, it was easy. Logging into their database, he typed in Nanase Haru in the search bar. The search was taking a while, which was either good or very bad.

After a few more seconds, the results appeared. Scrolling through the possible search options, Rin quickly found out that it was very bad. There wasn’t a single hit for one Nanase Haru anywhere. True to his name, he really was a phantom. Dropping his head into his hands, he sighed. There had to be something else he could try. A different approach. Anything.

One of the search suggestions recommended he try removing the first name altogether. Rin pondered the idea for a few moments, but he knew he didn’t have the time to search through every last person with the surname Nanase living in Tokyo. There would easily go the six hours of freedom he had before he was needed back here and all he’d be doing was searching endless possibilities and finding no leads. He’d already started deleting Haru when an idea crossed his mind.

He left Nanase H in the search bar and hit enter.

The never ending spinning ball of doom appeared on his screen. It wrecked his demeanor, emptied his patience, and maybe stopped his heart for a few moments while it idly spun over and over again until what felt like an entire hour passed by. And then, an impossibly long list of names appeared. Cursing under his breath, clicked on the search filter section. Male. Age 18 to 45. “Just in case,” he huffed knowing Nanase probably wasn’t 18 nor in his 40s. Place of birth… Rin paused, his cursor hovering over the dropdown arrow. It was just a hunch but, he was very familiar with a certain area of Japan, specifically where the Uradome Coast was located. When examining their files Rin had noticed all the members of the Yellows had something in common, with him even, all hailing from this little backwater town called Iwami, located in the Tottori Prefecture. Hoping against all odds this strange coincidence would improve his chances, Rin silently begged for an easy solution.

Could this get any more complicated?

Sighing, Rin hit the filter button and waited another ten years for the screen to load. A list much shorter than the original appeared. He bypassed most of the names until he reached a section that started with Haru. Finicky thing. He was not all that surprised the database didn’t give him these options the first time around regardless of the filter or not. There were six options to choose from, all male, and any one of them could’ve been shortened to Haru.

Harue

Haruka

Haruki

Harukichi

Harumi

Haruna

Rin stared at the list for a few moments. A few had traffic tickets, a few had parking violations, any one of them could’ve been him looking from the outside. Rin found himself taking in another calming breath to steady his nerves. Six was better than six hundred he reminded himself. Starting with the few names that had flags on their account, Rin flipped through the PDFs of their IDs associated with each minor crime and easily cut his search in half. Unmatched faces were easy to distinguish. Only three names remained.

Haruka

Harukichi

Harumi

“Nanase Haruka. Sounds like a girl. That would warrant a nickname.” He clicked on the first name. “Twenty nine. Decent prospect.” He paused for a moment as he realized that this Haru was eight years older than him. Checking to make sure his apartment wasn’t deep in Abyss territory, he grabbed a scrap piece of paper and scribbled down the address and continued.

“Nanase Harukichi. That’s a mouthful. Easy to shorten.” Rin cross checked the address with another database. The home was in a nicer area of Tokyo. “Boujee lifestyle? I bet he could swing that with his taste in alcohol. But as a potential perp? That’s not hiding in plain sight. Think of the property taxes on a place like that.” Visibly cringing, Rin scribbled the address down just in case, but had a distinct feeling this wasn’t the Nanase he was looking for. Eyes scanning for the last name on the list, Rin selected the final option.

“Nanase Harumi. Let’s see here…apartment is, no – _was_ north of town. Moved back to Tottori a few months ago? That’s probably not him either,” Rin found himself saying, more out of shock than anything. His eyes fell back to Nanase Haruka and the first address he’d scribbled onto the piece of paper. Gripping the slip in between his thumb and pointer, he brought it closer to his face.

Did he really find him? Was this the Yellow Phantom?

Too anxious to sleep, Rin cleared his search, logged out of the computer, and took off toward the door. He’d spent a little too much time here, more than he anticipated. It was nearly three in the morning. If he rushed over to this Nanase’s apartment half-cocked, it could easily spell out a disaster. But it would also be an ideal time to peruse the area. No one would be awake, especially not in that neighborhood. Maybe Nanase wouldn’t even be home. Would he risk breaking and entering just to get more information?

The cold air burned his exposed skin when he reached the parking garage. Thankfully, no one had stayed to make sure he was coming right back down. Rin beelined straight for the exit and onto the street where he hailed a cab. He clambered into the backseat and said an address two blocks away from the target apartment. As the cab pulled away from the curb, Rin made up his mind. If it meant getting closer to putting an end to this war, a little breaking and entering never hurt anyone.

~ Meanwhile ~

The temperature outside of the warehouse wasn’t much different than the inside despite the buzz he was feeling from all the alcohol he consumed. And though Haru was slightly worried shimmying open the rotten window alerted someone of his presence, he realized soon enough he had made it back to the Abyss hideout before all of the members of the Abyss. Taking advantage of the silence around him, Haru began to snoop around. There had to be answers somewhere.

Pulling his coat more tightly around his body, Haru quietly maneuvered his way through the makeshift rooms, phone flashlight in hand, searching for some sort of clue as if it would pop up at him. Instead, he found beer cans littering the cement floor, ripped up couches and a broken TV in the corner, and he wasn’t even going to touch the kitchen with a twenty foot pole. All he could ask himself was how they managed to live in such a dump?

“This can’t be it, can it?” Haru found himself asking, his breath forming a white mist that disappeared quickly. It was far too cold, too damp, and unlivable in the winter months. Did they secretly have another hideout that no one knew about? It would be a very interesting take on whatever it was they were planning.

Whatever it was that they needed Haru for.

Dead or alive, Haru wasn’t sure himself, but he wanted to find out. Living in the dark wasn’t something he actively chose to do. Knowledge was power these days, and knowledge helped him stay one step ahead of the cops. It took the heat off of his patchwork family and directed it toward something everyone could get behind. As long as he stayed free, the Second Uradome Yellows could continue to live their lives as they were. Comfortable.

Unlike the disastrous mess the Abyss called a hideout. This couldn’t be everything. There had to be more somewhere.

As if commanded by an orchestra, one of the large front doors began sliding open, screeching and protesting the movement that echoed fervently around the mostly empty space. It startled Haru. Shutting off his flashlight and ducking into a dark corner, he waited and listened with a keen ear. The trick now would be his escape, but Haru decided to worry about that at a later time.

“God _damn_ those motherfucking morons,” Hiyori’s voice cut through the shrieking door. It soon stopped as more people filed through the crack. Once everyone had safely made it across the threshold, the sound filled the animated air again. A light switch was flipped somewhere across the room sending the fluorescent bulbs crackling and humming with life. The men were panting and gripping their knees as if they’d ran all the way here. Haru shook his head.

“What’s the damage?”

“Chris and David took the heat. The rest of us are here,” Kisumi’s voice called, much too close for Haru’s comfort. He passed Haru without seeing him, heading for the bathroom. As a precaution, Haru forced himself behind a storage container, wedging himself between the outside wall and the metal side until Kisumi had safely passed again. Haru heard his rushed footsteps, or thought he did, but it wasn’t until Kisumi began to speak again did he know he was far enough away that Haru could ease himself out of his temporary hiding place.

“One bullet wound.” Kisumi was at the door again.

Something was thrown against the building’s wall as Hiyori stifled another yell. “I should _never_ have agreed to meet on their turf. It was beyond stupid, foolish, and dangerous. Not to mention our plan might as well have been thrown out the damn window.”

Haru shimmied his way out of his temporary hiding place to try and sneak another peek. Wanting to know who managed to be hit by one of Hiyori’s wild bullets was eating at his curiosity, and the plan he mentioned had to be the reason for their irregular visit. It only proved they had an ulterior motive. Haru had to know more.

“It’s done, alright?” Goro mentioned. “We can move on.”

“Speak for yourself,” Asahi’s strangled voice replied. After that, Haru didn’t have to look around the corner to know exactly who’d been hit. Yet, he still wanted to confirm his suspicion. When his line of sight cleared the corner of the storage container, he saw Kisumi digging for the bullet in Asahi’s shoulder, shoddy first aid kit by their feet. Blood had soaked through the sleeve of his shirt and was dripping down his arm where it collected on the cement.

Moving along, he noticed Goro looking out the windows to make sure there weren’t any bystanders. Hiyori was ferociously pacing, glasses missing, face bruised, bloody, and angry. Ikuya was standing awkwardly by the door in a rather sad, abandoned puppy sort of way. Haru’s heart pulled a little for him. But Ikuya made his choice and nearly got them all killed because of it.

“What about the plan?” Asahi asked through gritted teeth. “Are we sticking with plan A or are we switching to plan B because it seems like plan A has hit a slight roadblo–” His voice caught in his throat and was only released as a strangled cry.

“Whoops, my bad,” Kisumi smiled without emotion or remorse.

Hiyori sighed, his façade breaking slightly. “That’s not my call. Ikuya?”

Haru’s eyes fell back to him. So, whatever this plan was, they needed Haru and it revolved around Ikuya. Surprised to say the least, Haru was shocked to see Hiyori leaving the decisions to others. Was he becoming soft? Planning on handing over the reins?

“I think I can get to him. Let me try one more time,” was Ikuya’s measured response.

Asahi groaned, “And risk getting shot at again? You see the boss’ face right now? Don’t you think for a second he wouldn’t do that to you. You cut that tie. Your old life is over. You mean nothing to him now.”

“Let me try,” Ikuya repeated with a little more backbone.

“Drop it, Asahi. If he says he can do it, let him do it,” Hiyori’s leadership voice was back. “I’ll give you one more chance. If you can’t get to him, then I’ll personally see to his end.”

“We’ve got cops!” Goro called from the window. The lights were immediately doused as the men began scrambling for cover. Haru took the chance and beelined for the open window he’d entered through. Making sure there were no signs of movement other than the flashing red lights from the police cars, Haru pulled himself through the opening and pushed the window shut as the front door began to screech open for the second time that night. Keeping his senses on high alert, Haru followed the building for a short while before dodging into the nearest alleyway. From there he could see the flashlights passing along the windows as the police searched the premise. What he didn’t see were any of the Abyss members leaving. There was more to their hideout, and that confirmed it, but Haru wasn’t about to stick around and figure it out.

Digging his hands further into his pockets in search of warmth, Haru backtracked his way down the alley and out of sight from the warehouse. Mind racing, he thought of different possibilities and situations where the Abyss would need him dead or alive. But with the strange hour and numbing cold, Haru couldn’t wrap his mind around a single possibility. Peering at his watch, the numbers that greeted him were blurry, but he could recognize the first one started with a two. He needed to go home. Sleep would help clear the fog clouding his better judgment, and the alcohol still pulsing through his veins.

It took all he had to make it back to his apartment. He thought it best to remain unseen and unheard from Natsuya and the others until the worst blew over. Unsure if they’d gone to jail or if they were in their beds above the bar, Haru would have to find out in the morning. For now, sleep called to him. Digging through his pockets for his key, Haru turned the deadbolt open and slipped through the door into the darkness of his sanctuary. Once adequately secured in his own home, Haru left his shoes and coat near the door, dropped his key on the table by his bed, and plopped against his mattress that squeaked from his weight. He sighed, letting his heavy eyelids close on their own.

“Yo.”


	4. A String of Bad Luck

_Part 4 – A String of Bad Luck_

Saturday, April 1st

3:22 AM

Haru’s eyes immediately shot open as his hand furiously searched under his pillow for the pistol he safely secured there. In the few seconds he realized whoever breached his home had taken it, Haru had already swiveled around to face the intruder. Heart beating out of his chest, his mind frantically searched through the darkness for a familiar face, one he really hoped he didn’t pound halfway to hell against the bar a few hours ago. Even though it was highly impractical Hiyori had found his apartment, yet alone made it there in time to thoroughly search the premise before he had gotten there himself, Haru couldn’t help but let his mind wander to the worst possible scenario.

A light flipped on.

Haru’s face sank in disappointment the moment he realized who it was. Rolling his eyes, he dropped himself back against his pillow, grumbling, “Go home.”

“No way,” came a cracked reply. The intruder cleared his throat. “I’m here for answers. Answers only you can…answer.”

Haru propped himself up on one of his elbows and turned to scowl at him. The red hair seemed much more subdued by the dull lamplight. The kid looked wired, far beyond tired but awake due to adrenaline Haru was certain was caused from the incident earlier. But how he managed to find him was a little beyond astounding. It would be a question best suited for another time. Sincerely doubting he had backup, Haru decided sleep would come first since he ruled out any sense of danger. He wouldn’t tolerate rookie cops during normal business hours yet alone in the middle of the night, and he despised having his sleep interrupted.

Haru’s glare seemed to scare the intruder into talking more at an unreasonably fast pace. “If you don’t answer my questions, I have no choice but to bring you in.” The kid pulled handcuffs out of his back pocket and dangled them in front of his chest. “After all, you did bludgeon a guy nearly to death.”

“That’s called self-defense,” Haru murmured, dropping against his pillow again. “Aren’t you supposed to be familiar with the law?”

It seemed to shut him up. Unfortunately, only temporarily.

“They want you desperately, you know.”

Haru sighed heavily. This time, he hoisted himself fully out of bed and turned to look at the intruder. “It’s Rin, isn’t it?” Rin’s face turned a sickly shade of green.

Bingo.

Haru started slowly towards him. With each step, Rin took a step back too. Panic was mirrored in his maroon eyes, yet he kept his face entirely calm. That’s most likely what Haru had mistakenly seen earlier. He wasn’t calm at all, just pretending to be. Either way, it put Haru at ease. He took another step.

“I haven’t properly thanked you for that drink earlier.”

“D-Don’t mention it,” he squeaked, Rin’s back hitting the far wall. Haru stifled a laugh. There was nowhere else he could go.

“You know,” Haru began, closing the gap with a few short strides. Their faces were inches apart. A portion of Haru was disappointed he was slightly shorter than Rin. Up close, he could see just how stressed the poor kid was, “in your world, they call me a cop killer.”

Rin audibly swallowed.

Haru grabbed a hold of his arms, swiveled him around, and backed him across the room until the back of Rin’s knees hit his bed. Aggressively pushing Rin, Haru watched his body helplessly fall back, bouncing against his mattress sending an enormous wave of sheer panic throughout Rin’s entire being. He kept opening and closing his mouth as if to say something, but no words were coming out.

How cute.

Curling his knees to climb on top of Rin, Haru grabbed Rin’s wrists eliciting a small squeak from him. Rin was far too distracted to see what was really going on. Most people were. That’s the reason being a thief came so easily to Haru; it was too easy to deceive humankind. But, just in case, Haru decided to take it one step further. He did manage to single-handedly find him when no one else could.

Slowly dragging his hands down Rin’s arms, he traced the outline of his torso, carefully watching how fast his chest rose and fell. Up and down like the waves of an ocean upset by a storm. Haru could almost hear Rin’s rampant heart pounding out of his chest, as if he could just run his hand across his skin and grab it. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to try.

Slipping his fingers underneath his shirt, Rin’s skin felt hot underneath his touch. Immediately, he flinched away.

“S-S-S-Stop,” he managed to choke out, but was far too terrified to move.

Ignoring his request, Haru slowly inched upward pulling each layer of clothing as he went. With a destination in mind, he guided his hands slowly toward the center of Rin’s chest. It wasn’t as if he really meant what he was doing to be spiteful or menacing, but Rin’s pale skin still felt good underneath his touch. How long had it been since he had a meaningful relationship with anyone? Though, what he was doing currently was only meant to be a distraction, maybe a little bit of punishment too, Haru couldn’t help himself from going a tad too far.

A single nipple came into view and Haru brushed his finger against it.

Rin finally shifted defensively. A metallic clanging stifled the room in response. Haru swung his leg over Rin’s body and slid off the edge of the bed satisfied with his work. At least now he wouldn’t have to worry about Rin running for help or taking him to the police, though Haru doubted he had the guts. All rookie cops were the same.

The frightened kid pulled at the handcuffs again resulting in the same, frantic metallic clanging. The fear in Rin’s eyes shifted to something more, something deeper. Haru watched as his maroon eyes slid up his arm where one side of the handcuff had been attached before following the small metal chain to the bed frame where they rested for a few moments as the situation processed in his mind.

Haru had handcuffed him to the bed, stole the key, and swiped his phone all in one go. He was helpless, alone, and completely at Haru’s mercy.

Rin pulled at the handcuff again, desperate to be released. Only the sound of Haru digging through a kitchen drawer seemed to settle him down enough to stop. When Haru turned back to Rin, he realized he hadn’t settled down at all, but had the frantic deer-in-the-headlights look about him as if he were about to be slaughtered.

“Relax,” Haru said, fishing out a paperclip to remove the SIM card in Rin’s phone. In a few seconds it was out. Carefully setting them both on the kitchen counter well out of reach, he put the handcuff key next to them. “I’m not going to kill you.”

Suddenly Rin was patting his pockets with his free hand to make sure he still had the rest of his belongings. Haru saw a slight wave of comfort cross his terrified face when he realized Haru hadn’t taken anything else.

“Wh-What are you going to do with me?” Rin stuttered, subconsciously pulling his body inward as a means to protect himself.

“Nothing. I still owe you for that drink, remember?” Haru crossed the room and flipped off the light. He sunk into the chair nearby and instantly felt something stab him in the back. Normally, it was broken down, and it still beat sleeping on the floor, but when Haru moved his hand to find the thing protruding into his kidneys, he gripped the metal barrel of a foreign handgun. Sighing, he released the magazine and set both pieces on the floor. This kid had guts, but in the wrong places. Maybe he should’ve handcuffed Rin to the radiator instead so at least he’d still have his bed to sleep in. Sighing with annoyance for the situation he’d unfortunately found himself in, Haru closed his eyes and let sleep overtake him. Rin didn’t make another sound for the rest of the night.

~

The smell of eggs and ham stirred Rin from his sleep. His body felt incredibly stiff as if he aged 50 years overnight. Eyes crusted from the trials of the day before, he pried them open to the dim light of the room. All the panic he experienced the day before slammed into him the instant he realized he wasn’t at home. In fact, he’d infiltrated enemy territory, got caught, and became a prisoner in a few short minutes, all of which were not on his list of things to happen in his life. Ever. And, to make matters worse, he actually fell asleep.

Wait, he fell _asleep_?

Jolting upright, his arm, still attached to the bed, halted in earnest, reminding Rin he was still at the mercy of the Yellow Phantom, or should he say Nanase Haruka.

“Morning,” came a gruff comment from behind him. Rin felt his body solidify, blood turning cold. And yet, he found himself rotating to find the source, his body pivoting where his shoulder was digging into the uncomfortable mattress. His eyes fell on the person casually sitting on top of a wooden stool, one foot propped on one of the lower rungs, spatula in hand as he pushed food around in a skillet that sat on top of an intense blue flame. Instantly something within Rin launched his stomach into his throat. What he saw wasn’t right. It was too natural, too domestic. 

He looked normal.

Other than him lacking a shirt. Rin felt his cheeks ignite as he scrambled into a more comfortable seated position on the bed. The mattress squeaked as he shifted. With his arm still handcuffed to the metal frame, there wasn’t much he could do. For a few moments while Rin tried to find his voice, he observed. His gaze instinctively fell upon Haru’s full sleeve tattoo. It looked alive under the dim apartment light, as if his arm was covered with real bluish green fish scales. The tattoo stopped just beyond the curve of his shoulder and looked like there was something inked beyond that traveled down the skin covering his shoulder blade, but before Rin could lean far enough to get a proper look, Haru shut off the burner and pulled the skillet off the stove.

“Hungry?”

Rin’s stomach answered for him when his voice caught in his throat. Again. A deep growl resonated around the small room, echoing off the empty, cracking plaster walls like something from a nightmare.

His frightened stare met Haru’s briefly before he could finally squeak out an answer. “No, thank you.” Thoughts of potentially poisoned food, strangling with a kitchen utensil, or even death by bludgeoning via the frying pan crossed his mind. It may have been risky to refuse his offer, but the quicker Rin could get out of this situation the better.

Haru stared at him with an unreadable expression that was borderline dismayed. There was a moment they remained frozen in silence before Haru wrenched open a nearby drawer and pulled out a pair of chopsticks. Using them to empty the contents of the skillet into a bowl that was also sitting on the counter, he walked over to the bed and dropped himself on the edge so close to Rin, he could’ve easily reached out and touched him.

Finding himself shrinking away the closer Haru brought himself, Rin tried to swallow the lump in the back of his throat to no avail. Panic enveloped his body as he watched Haru dig through the bowl for a piece of egg that was larger than the rest. Once one was pinched between the chopsticks, Haru lifted it toward him.

“Open up.”

Despite the lack of malice behind Haru’s soft words, Rin couldn’t find anything concrete within him to trust Haru enough to stick food in his mouth. Reeling his head away like a frightened bunny in the face of a wolf, Rin wanted to disappear beneath the floor joists spanning below him. Without saying anything, he saw Haru’s eyes dull slightly as he ate the bite instead and set the bowl on the bedside table. Its wooden frame tilted with the added weight.

He added calmly, “Help yourself then.” Haru didn’t look back as he began cleaning up the dirty dishes.

Rin’s stomach lurched with a hint of pity and remorse this time as he began to wonder what time it was and how long he’d been under Haru’s watchful eye or if he’d ever show enough mercy to let Rin go scot free. As his eyes searched for a clock, he soon realized he’d have to ask, and if he was going to ask, he might as well ask the important question. The one regarding his freedom. Rin’s eyes fell to the bowl of food again as he began looking too far into his situation. Maybe it was some sort of test. Gang members weren’t like normal humans. They survived by acting on their instincts. Haru must’ve at least felt like Rin was relatively harmless or he’d be dead already. Harmless enough to make him breakfast. Unless, of course, it was his final meal or something.

His stomach growled again. Rin eyed Haru who was still mindlessly cleaning and then eyed the food again. Steam lapped the edges of the ceramic bowl before floating into the chilled air. And the smell. Rin was positive he’d never smelled anything so delicious in his life. Haru had taken a bite. It was harmless…probably. Instinctively, Rin’s hand reached for the chopsticks. They called to him, silently, as a mild version of tunnel vision overtook his senses. Before he realized, Rin had stuffed three chopsticks full of food into his mouth and was going for more.

For some unknown reason, Rin’s eyes fluttered up mid-bite and came to rest on Haru. He was sitting on the stool again, one elbow propped against the counter, his fingers into a relaxed fist that supported his head just underneath his jawline. There was a distinct smile hinting at the corners of his lips and he wasn’t ashamed to be caught watching Rin devour his food like a homeless person.

Rin’s stomach instantly flipped from starving to sick. The chopsticks dropped into the nearly empty bowl, clattering against the ceramic, as a shaking hand reached for his mouth. He weaseled out a muffled, “Please tell me that wasn’t poisoned,” before having to physically hold back vomit.

Haru let out a small laugh, his smile more relaxed, his body leaning into the chuckle. “If I wanted you dead, you would’ve been dead yesterday.” And when Rin went from pale to green, Haru added, “I’m sure you’re hungry. Please finish eating.”

“I think I’m good, thanks,” Rin choked, pulling at the handcuffs keeping him in this situation. Though, the immediate panic of death had passed, Rin still felt like the current standing still had the potential to get ugly quickly. Haru seemed willing to talk. He still had a lot of questions, maybe breaking the ice a little would help Rin understand what kind of person he was, and whether or not he could clarify more on his second identity, the Yellow Phantom. What had he said last night? _“In your world, they call me a cop killer.”_

That was well beyond a confession to Rin, but he wanted to be sure. So, he started by asking, “What time is it anyway?”

“Nearly two.”

So much for casual talk.

“ _What_ ,” Rin spat, accidentally lurching his entire body, which was immediately stopped by the handcuffs. The bed frame creaked in protest nearly toppling over on itself with the force Rin applied. He was supposed to be at the office at nine to continue the interrogation. Not only had he missed the meeting entirely, he wondered if he’d sent the department into a frenzy. They had to be worried sick. He hadn’t had any contact with them for nearly twelve hours now. Frantically looking for his phone, he remembered Haru snatched it last night. Rin’s eyes fell back to Haru. “I need to go.”

Haru slowly rose from his perch, a seriousness in his eyes that hadn’t existed before. “How do I know I can trust you?”

“No, you don’t understand. You have to let me go. Your friends might be in danger. My boss might think they took me and–”

“Relax, kid,” Haru interrupted. “The key has been in your pocket since this morning.”

Rin began turbulently digging through his pockets in search of the tiny key, scratching the metal handcuffs along the bed frame as he went. Stumbling upon it quickly, he haphazardly tried to free himself. With each attempt, the key seemed to hit the metal surrounding the keyhole ultimately sliding out of place leaving a scratch in its wake. After about the third attempt, he felt a warm hand touch the bare skin of his arm. Rin’s body instantly froze again as Haru brushed his fingers up Rin’s bare arms. He’d approached from behind within Rin’s blind spot and completely invaded Rin’s space in a manner of a few seconds, something no one had been able to do to him for as long as he could remember.

Haru’s touch skirted against his skin until they reached his hands. Gently taking the key from his grip, Haru inserted it into the first lock and the cuff snapped open. Surprisingly, Rin remained rooted as Haru went for the second, popping the metal open and releasing him from his temporary prison. He handed Rin, still too shocked to move, the handcuffs and key since they belonged to him and brought his face closer to Rin’s until a few mere inches separated them.

“Go home,” something else heavy landed in Rin’s open hand, “take a shower,” the distinct weight of his gun was tucked into the back of his waistline, “and call your boss. My family will be fine as long as your family realizes you overslept. And do yourself a favor, stay out of my life if you know what’s good for you.”

Rin swallowed, stuffed everything Haru gave him into his pockets, then backed away, off the bed, and reached for the door. His hand hovered over the doorknob for a few moments too long. He didn’t get a single straight answer from him, and what if another situation like this never happened again? Turning back to Haru, Rin sucked in a calming breath of air, expelling it in one go. “What about you?”

“What about me?” Haru asked, sliding off the bed too, a more annoyed look in his eyes.

“They want you...badly. What are you going to do?”

“None of your damn business, kid. Go home before you get hurt.”

Rin’s face hardened. “I’m not a kid. You’re barely older than I am, Haruka.”

Haru crossed the room in a few short strides, causing Rin to simultaneously back away from the aggressive presence quickly approaching. His back callously hit the wall as Haru took the last step toward him. He was an entirely different presence than what he was before, menacing, violent, and very dangerous. Rin finally understood what sort of character he was dealing with, whether or not that answered his question regarding the Yellow Phantom. Though, it definitely felt more likely and completely explained how he bashed Hiyori’s face into the bar so calmly. A small thought invaded the forefront of Rin’s mind.

What if he was about to meet the same fate?

“It’s Haru.”

“S-Sorry,” Rin managed, trying to make himself as small as he could against the wall behind him while trying not to flinch from the sudden pain he accidentally caused himself.

“Get out.”

Rin didn’t need to be told twice. Reaching for the empty doorknob as he should have moments ago, Rin flung the door open and practically slammed into the railing a stride beyond the threshold before racing down the empty hallway and back to the comfort of the daylit streets of Tokyo. Answers or not, Rin decided he was definitely not going to tell his coworkers about Haru. He cared for the integrity of the life he had left and ruining the vast secret beyond the title of Yellow Phantom would certainly cut it short. It wasn’t a game he was ready to play.

The fear of his blue eyes scared Rin through the first main intersection in the suburb of Haru’s neighborhood, and by the second, Rin finally slowed his pace to a less-suspicious walk. Like a bad tick, Rin continued to look behind him for the familiar dark hair but thankfully didn’t spot him. Being so preoccupied with what was behind, he didn’t notice the foot traffic beyond him, and as he turned the corner, he completely ran into someone. Practically falling to the cement, Rin immediately began apologizing.

“I’m so sorry,” he said, reaching a hand to the person he nearly toppled over. They surprisingly kept their footing too. “Are you okay?”

He met a curious amber stare.

“Do I know you?”

Rin’s tongue faltered again as his mind raced through the profiles of each member of the two rival street gangs. Though, it hardly mattered, he remembered seeing the teal haired, frailer looking, younger brother of the man running the Yellows the night his life seemingly changed forever.

Kirishima Ikuya.


	5. What Truth Lies Beneath

_Part 5 – What Truth Lies Beneath_

Saturday, April 1st

7:35 PM

It was slowly becoming a mental game as Haru checked and rechecked all the items he believed would help him storm through the Abyss’ headquarters as he brashly searched for the information he hadn’t had the chance to find the first time around. It wasn’t a decision he’d settled with easily, going in and raising hell for something as small as an answer, but he didn’t know what else to do. If it worked, it was worth the effort. It would mean finding peace between gangs. But if it didn’t…this very well could be his end. Haru reminded himself he couldn’t regret a single moment of the life he had. It was a life he never wanted and a life he never intended on living, but when push came to shove, it was a life he made his own. And that in itself was worth millions.

Without touching base with his family or making sure the strange redhead really did leave his neighborhood, Haru decided earlier that day he’d go back to Hiyori and Ikuya and ask them what their plan was, even if it meant beating it out of them. And with that added thought, Haru patted his pockets down again, reaching in and double checking all the necessary tools for his little B&E. The sun had set but light still existed in the darkening sky. It was nearly time to go. The night hid a lot on the back streets of Tokyo and had allowed Haru safe passage through enemy territory throughout the years. Tonight would be no different. Flipping off the light switches to his shabby apartment, Haru locked the door behind him and took the stairs two at a time to get onto the street level.

Almost immediately he realized how quiet the evening had gotten. For a Saturday night, this wasn’t a good sign. Being further away from any major station had its perks, but even his neighborhood wasn’t ever this quiet. Haru’s eyes searched for the moon through the overcast sky. With the dwindling sunset disappearing quicker than he’d expected due to the more-than-likely impending storm, it didn’t bode well in his stomach. Something didn’t feel right.

The wind swept through his body sending chills all the way to his bones. It whipped his jacket around his body as it tore down the narrow streets without a care in the world. The few civilians out and about rushed inside to find shelter. Haru instinctively checked his phone. Was there an impending typhoon he missed somehow? Rain droplets were already collecting on his screen as he waited for the weather app to boot. Cursing silently, Haru stuffed his phone back into his pocket and continued on. There wasn’t time for squabbling, he needed to get to his destination before the storm clouds swallowed him whole.

Taking the only known shortcut he bothered to find, Haru cut across town, skipped the train station, and continued down the darker streets that separated his neighborhood from the Abyss’ territory. Overall, the trip usually took him about an hour, but with the rain now falling in buckets overhead, he cut the tour down to a solid 45 minutes. Before he knew it, Haru was standing in the exact spot he was the night before, staring at the warehouse from across the street in a dark alleyway that wasn’t built for more than one person. Through the rain he couldn’t really see if anyone was around watching the place. Leave it up to Hiyori to send someone to scout in weather like this, but then again, would they be expecting someone to drop by so suddenly?

That strange feeling in his gut was back. Gripping the wall of the building to his right for support, Haru slowly eased himself to the ground to try and get a better look through the rain. With the streetlights out, it was nearly impossible to see movement on the warehouse’s roof, but the sidewalks looked clear. Pulling his already soaked leather coat tightly over his shoulders, Haru jogged across the street to the entrance. Up close, the building looked ordinary, even in the ominous rain. Making sure to duck below the few windows the boxy storage unit had, Haru found himself staring at the large metal door that made such a racket the night before.

Taking a deep breath to calm the last of his wild nerves, Haru pulled out his lockpicking gear and within a few minutes he had the door unlatched. Hesitation about the noise came easy, pushing past it knowing there would be danger beyond was a struggle. There simply was no way around it. Gritting his teeth and gripping the handle, Haru threw open the door. The screech echoed across the mostly deserted building followed quickly by the enormous bang as the door hit the stopper at unusual speeds. It bounced back so fast, the door slid back into place, closing out the rain behind him.

“Knock-knock, assholes,” Haru said, taking a few more cautious steps into the warehouse. Water from his wet clothes dripped onto the bare concrete below his booted feet. The sound reminded him of Asahi’s blood as another strange feeling passed over him. What if they weren’t there? What if they chose that night to somehow attack his own family? Maybe he should’ve checked in on them before rashly storming the place?

“Haru,” Hiyori’s snake-like voice called from the darkness, “you came.” It was followed by the warning clicks of distinct guns being cocked around the room and the muffled cries of someone else. Haru’s already ailing stomach tightened into thick knots. His eyes scoured through the darkness in search of someone, anyone, but came up empty handed.

“Got tired of waiting for you to send more lackeys to collect me,” Haru called back, hoping his eyes would adjust soon. His fingers curled and uncurled from the stress. He had to be ready for anything.

A laugh responded. That couldn’t be good.

“I was on my way,” Ikuya’s voice called from a different part of the warehouse. “I honestly thought I could talk some sense into you. But before I could reach your door, fate dropped a little piglet into my lap.”

One light was flipped on directly above Haru’s head. It did as was intended. Momentary brightness filled the conflicting darkness temporarily blinding him. Flinching from the sudden burst of light, Haru felt the hands of someone he didn’t recognize aggressively grab a hold of his arm. With one palm strike to his jaw, Goro went flying back clenching his mouth as he withdrew. Haru turned back to face the rest of the warehouse again when he felt the cold end of a gun press against his temple.

“Didn’t we learn from the last time?” Haru hissed, taking extra care not to shift suddenly so the wielder didn’t pull the trigger. One of his knees was kicked out from behind him causing him to tumble to the floor. Three more sets of hands gripped him, dragging him back to his feet.

“The only one learning lessons today is you.” Hiyori said, his face suddenly appearing before Haru in the light. A solitary fist collided with his stomach doubling him over and back onto the ground at the mercy of the three men basically on top of him. His hands were tied behind his back with something that resembled a zip tie. Someone else grabbed a handful of his hair, yanking his head toward the ceiling, and placed a knife at his throat. The third set of hands frisked him down, pulling the gun he had safely stored in the waistband of his pants and handed it to Hiyori.

With careful eyes, Hiyori removed his gun from Haru’s temple, suddenly more interested in the strange details of Haru’s weapon. After a few moments, he stored them both behind his own waistband. He continued talking as he disappeared into the darkness again. “Your timing is impeccable as always, Haru. Almost as if you read my mind. Pity you won’t be seeing much of us after tonight.”

“Pity,” Haru replied as his head was mercilessly pulled higher. The dreadful feeling in his gut had only grown, but he wasn’t any closer to the answers he sought. Three men with his hands tied behind his back would be tough enough to get through but escape without answers would be meaningless. He forced himself to play along with Hiyori’s game. For now, at least, while Hiyori still felt he had all the cards in his hand.

“Pity is right. I knew you were the careless type, but leaving a defenseless kid running down the streets when you should’ve killed him to keep your secret? You’re getting soft, Haru.”

Fuck.

Hiyori was approaching again, this time dragging something alongside him. Not something. _Someone_. Rin’s body hit the ground a little too hard for Haru’s liking, but he instantly tried to scurry up. He was alive, and, as far as Haru could tell, in one piece. Hiyori’s boot slammed into Rin’s side causing his movements to stop. Or at least, that’s what Haru thought until he saw his panicked red eyes staring him down from the gap separating them.

This was definitely not good.

And yet, Haru couldn’t hold back the eyeroll as a small smile curled the corners of his lips. This kid was something else. What terrible luck to place himself in the bar and then in his apartment to be subjected to whatever Haru pleased and then to walk into Ikuya on his way back home. It was unbelievable, inauspicious even.

Haru watched Hiyori use a rope to tie Rin’s already restrained hands to one of the support beams of the warehouse that extended from the floor to the ceiling. It was then when the realization suddenly struck him. Rin never made it back home. The police would still be out looking for him. Police that probably thought one of the two gangs were behind his disappearance.

“Does this piglet belong to you?” Ikuya asked, appearing beside Hiyori when he finished.

“Rhetorical question I’m guessing,” Haru replied monotonously.

“He spilled his life story to us, didn’t he?” Asahi said with a laugh on one side of Haru.

“Sang like a bird,” Kisumi’s voice called next to his other ear. Haru flinched away from it, suddenly disgusted. Maybe it was the way they said it, but Haru wasn’t buying it. For someone he’d just met, and yes, Rin was a little rough around the edges, Haru felt like Rin wasn’t one to blab. Especially after letting him go free and clear after Rin made it fairly obvious he hadn’t told anyone about Haru’s secret identity. Under the right stress it could be possible, and he did look relatively unharmed; two undeniable facts Haru had to settle himself with. They were textbook signs someone talked.

Haru chose to stay silent, locking eyes with Rin as he did. He was searching for some readable expression that told him they were lying but couldn’t find a single thing other than anxiety smeared across his face. Dread that he hid so well when the Abyss raided their bar last night. Was that supposed to be a clue?

Hiyori’s fist collided with Haru’s stomach again. Keeling over instinctively put the knife at the top of his throat. Stifling the urge to spit profanity at them all, Haru tried to straighten himself up but found Kisumi and Asahi doing it for him. Hiyori’s fingers pinched his cheeks as he brought their faces closer together. The bruising on Hiyori’s skin caused by Haru was very apparent up close. It looked like it hurt. No shred of pity existed within Haru, at least not anymore.

“Listen closely, asshole. The cops are looking for him.” Hiyori pulled one of the two guns from his waistband and wildly pointed it toward Rin. “They’re going to stumble in here after a friendly tip from the good guys,” his gun wavered between him and Ikuya, “and find you here. You’re going to jail and the rest of us will get off clean and easy, capeesh?”

Haru’s eyes fell to the gun he was holding. Hiyori instinctively grabbed Haru’s instead of his own. Resisting the urge to shake his tired head at the constant mistakes he was making, Haru remained silent and let his eyes drift back to Hiyori. Rather than say something he didn’t mean and react to Hiyori’s version of an escape plan, Haru kept his expression blank and gave them nothing but the silent treatment. The best way to get answers from someone who valued control like Hiyori was to make him feel like he was losing it. There was still potential to escape and Haru couldn’t forget about that now. Hostage or not.

The gun in Hiyori’s hand leveled with his forehead. He was ever so slightly losing his cool. It wouldn’t be long now. Haru watched his lips form the words, “Do. You. Understand.”

“Hey, piglet,” Haru called out, ignoring Hiyori but keeping his eyes on him just in case, “did you tell them you’re a cop?”

“Yes, you moron,” Asahi replied for his boss as the knife to Haru’s throat pressed in further.

Haru took note and continued, “Did you tell them you haven’t been home since last night?”

“Why else would the cops be looking for him?” Kisumi asked, hands instinctively tightening around Haru’s body. Tensions were rising. Perfect.

“Playing us for a fool, Haru?” Hiyori asked, laughing in the stillness of the air.

“And what about you?” Haru’s eyes flashed to Ikuya. “Coming to talk some sense into me but finding a cop running for home instead? How many traffic cameras caught that? How many witnesses do you think saw you as you threatened him into joining you for an afternoon stroll?”

Ikuya’s face turned pale. Hiyori shifted uncomfortably. Bingo.

“All I ask is why? Why go to such lengths? The bar? Tonight?”

“Shut it, Nanase,” Goro’s rough voice called from behind him. “We don’t need to listen to this, do we boss?”

“No,” Hiyori pushed his gun into Haru’s forehead, “we don’t. Dead or alive, we’ll still get what we want.”

He dropped the gun to Haru’s shoulder and pulled the trigger.

Water poured out from the muzzle, dripping down Haru’s chest, saturating his clothes even further. A full five seconds passed by where no one thought to breathe yet alone move or speak.

“What the–” Hiyori began pulling the gun away from Haru’s forehead.

“It’s good to know you were really trying to kill me,” Haru sneered, “but even you should know the difference between a real gun and a fake one.” His whole body pushed toward Asahi; his shoulder aimed directly into his captor’s chest. The knife Asahi was holding slipped from his fingers and fell to the ground as they both hit concrete. Rolling to the side once he felt Asahi’s grip loosen, Haru scrambled up in search of the discarded weapon. His eyes fell on it almost immediately. Thankfully, it hadn’t skidded too far out of sight. With a few hurried steps he’d almost reached it when the sound of a gun being fired filled the air. And again. Haru hit the ground, ears ringing.

“Enough!” Hiyori yelled a few paces away. It wasn’t long before another cold gun was pushed into the back of Haru’s neck. This one wasn’t Hiyori’s.

“I’d stay still this time,” Ikuya said immediately behind Haru, his voice serious and low. A hand gripped his shoulder, one he was much more familiar with. His heart broke a little knowing that he’d definitely crossed that bridge and wasn’t coming back. Natsuya would be devastated. That was, if he managed to avoid the end of a long rope of injustices facing him if he didn’t escape.

“I’m calling the cops right now. Make sure he doesn’t escape. I don’t give a damn what you do to keep him here, but make sure he’s alive to take the heat off of us,” Hiyori spat, his angered footsteps disappearing towards the back of the warehouse.

“Yes, sir,” everyone else said in unison before four sets of eyes fell upon Haru.

“What should we do with him?”

“Break his legs so he can’t run.”

“Shoot him in the shoulder like he did me.”

“Yeah!”

“He’s our key out of here, boys,” Ikuya’s usually quiet voice rose above the rest. “We can’t let it look like we left him here to die. They’d turn around and pin the blame back on us. Rough him up a little, but don’t you dare fire your weapon, Shiina, or I’ll unload mine into you and see how you like it.”

“Hiyori’s got you wound around his finger like a pet,” Kisumi chuckled. “Disgusting.”

“Do this right and we’re off the streets. No yellows, no scavenging, proper food for every meal, a house,” he paused and looked at each man individually as he spoke before his eyes fell back on Haru, “and no phantom lurking in the shadows.”

They seemed pleased with Ikuya’s words. All of them were listening to one voice, something Hiyori struggled to do for the longest time. This was why gang-to-gang conflict wasn’t the Abyss’ primary interest. He knew he couldn’t organize Asahi, Goro, and Kisumi to do his bidding, at least not down to the T, yet alone any other lackeys in need of a new home. The gaps in their personalities spanned a little too far, almost from one extreme to the other if Haru had to describe it himself. But Ikuya, once a quiet voice for the Yellows, was now standing his ground. The answer to Ikuya’s betrayal should’ve been obvious. He felt like someone here. He _was_ someone here. But what Haru still couldn’t understand was why he was so innately involved and why this felt like they were trying too hard?

Like someone else was pulling the strings…

A foot landed in his stomach, another slammed into his back. Over and over, he felt the blows of his once so-called friends pummel him further into the concrete. He was entirely at their mercy with no one coming to his rescue. Regretfully, he wished he would’ve said something to Natsuya. But even then, bringing someone else into this mess would only get them killed. It was best to shoulder this himself with the consequences heading his way, consequences he knew would catch up to him sooner or later.

“They’re on their way,” Hiyori’s voice called once again from the darkness beyond the solitary light. It swung overhead as the dizziness in Haru’s eyes tried to focus on something other than the pain radiating throughout his body. Other than a few nasty bruises, he felt everything was still in good working order. It would be a slow process, but he had to get out of here somehow.

“Untie him.”

“Boss, if we untie him now, he’ll just find a way to escape,” came Asahi’s worried reply.

“Pull him to his feet.”

This gang was run more like a military boot camp than a family. Haru clicked his tongue before two sets of hands forcefully grabbed him and yanked him to his feet. Accidentally groaning in protest, Goro and Kisumi had a fistful of his hair in one hand and even more hands on his arms keeping him in one place.

Hiyori pulled a distinguished silver, serrated knife from his pocket. He took his time examining the blade, the overhead light reflecting into Haru’s eyes a few times. Dragging his thumb across the blade as if testing its sharpness, his olive eyes flashed toward Haru beyond his cracked glasses.

“I call this knife the White Dragon. Do you know why?”

Haru bit his tongue to try and refrain from saying something ill-advised.

The knife spun around Hiyori’s fingers like a trapeze artist through hoops. It was mesmerizing in the dim light, and for a moment, Haru didn’t see his attack coming. With one fell swoop, Hiyori swung his knife at Haru. It cleanly sliced through Haru’s shirt, brandishing his skin from his right hip to his left shoulder.

Through Haru’s painful cry, Hiyori answered himself, “Because the last thing this knife saw was the whites of the eyes of that goody-two-shoes, bag of dicks, wannabe cop that stood up for you the last time we faced off like this. And you know what?” Hiyori stepped forward, knife in hand. “You got blamed for killing that cocksucker too.”

Hiyori’s knife delicately sliced over Haru’s nose and across his cheek. “You fuck up my face, I get the privilege of fucking up yours. I can’t wait to see your mugshot.”

“We’ve got cops spotted a few blocks away,” Ikuya said, his eyes on his phone.

“Cut him loose,” demanded Hiyori. The ties restraining Haru’s wrists were sliced open from Asahi’s knife. They let him drop to the concrete. Before Haru could regain balance on his hands and knees, Hiyori’s foot collided against his chest sending him sprawling out on the floor again, this time in a world of pain. “If you even think about leaving this place, we’ll gun you down before you take one step out of here.”

The front door was pried open, the hopelessly loud screeching filling the interior of the warehouse, reverberating off the walls sending an impending dread onto Haru. The pouring rain could clearly be heard now, each drop hammering against the pavement with vigor. He was forced to watch each member of the Abyss pass across the threshold to their futures while he paid the price of their own failures. A bitterness filled his mouth.

Through the rain he could hear Hiyori call out to his men, “Tonight we celebrate. Tomorrow we’ll strike the heart!” Cheers returned his poetic speech.

“No,” Haru weakly called out, the pain from his wound stopping him from following the Abyss out the door. Reaching an unsteady hand for the part in the doorway, he found it nearly impossible to regain any sort of internal balance. His fingertips gripped the concrete in desolation.

What Hiyori was saying could only mean one thing.

“Oh, and Haru?” Hiyori paused in the doorway, the storm raging behind him. He turned as a flash of lightning lit up the sky around him. “The yakuza send their regards.” With a laugh, the door slammed shut, sealing off the pouring rain beyond the confinement of the four metal walls.


	6. The Aftermath

_Part 6 – The Aftermath_

Saturday, April 1st

9:03 PM

This was not happening. It couldn’t be happening. And yet, Haru was lying helplessly on the ground in front of him, desperately trying to stop whatever sort of disastrous plan Hiyori had set in motion. The second the door shut behind him, the clock was ticking, and time was running out fast. All Rin could think about was how to get Haru to safety, but the ropes used to restrain him refused to budge. They dug into his bare wrists which abraded almost immediately from the friction.

“I’m sorry,” Rin found himself choking, the regret of burdening Haru rushing down his flushed cheeks in the form of tears. “I’m sorry. This is all my fault. I didn’t believe you and I should’ve. Because of me you’re in this mess. It’s all my fault. It’s all...” The words caught in his throat. Dropping his head to the cool concrete below him, Rin bit his tongue to hold back the sob threatening to overflow.

“Are you okay?” came Haru’s hoarse voice. “Did they hurt you?”

“No,” Rin spat, “I’m fine and I didn’t tell them a damn thing, those-those–”

“Rin?”

Rin held his breath. Haru’s voice, so calm and so gentle, seemed to break the ever-present fear consuming him. Blinking away the tears, Rin’s eyes fell upon Haru who had rolled himself onto his back. His chest fluttered up and down at a rapid pace. His eyes were closed, eyebrows furrowed with pain. With the dim fluorescent hanging above his head as the only source of light in the room, Rin couldn’t tell how much blood Haru had lost, or how serious his wounds were.

“Promise me something,” Haru began, the hand on his chest tightening into a fist.

“No. Don’t you give me that. Don’t you dare say that to me. You’re starting to scare me,” Rin replied, the fear slowly seeping back into his body. He tried to pull on his restraints again, but they only caused his irritated skin to bleed. “Stupid, useless arms,” he hissed, trying again for the sake of Haru’s safety. “Budge you stupid rope.” After a few exasperating moments, he gave up, frustrations now at an all time high. Nearly breaking into another sob, Rin blubbered, “Dammit…”

Screaming through the downpour, the sound of police sirens could be heard. It wouldn’t be long now. Rin watched as the red lights coursed through the windows, dim at first before they became overpowering in time with the sirens. They cast abnormal shadows around the inside of the warehouse setting a rattled tone in the air. Haru turned his head to meet Rin’s gaze, a strange sense of calmness coating his expression.

“Promise me you’ll warn Natsuya and the others. Hiyori will be coming for them tomorrow and they need to know they’re in danger. They’re going to need help.”

Rin was shaking his head, his tears returning without hesitation. This wasn’t how this was supposed to happen. There had to be something more he could do for him. Anything but sitting there uselessly as Haru’s life reached its untimely end. He’d be framed for a crime he didn’t commit while the real murderer walked the streets of Tokyo with ties to the fucking yakuza of all things. Which brought up another point, but it seemed rather mute with Haru knocking on death’s door.

“I won’t let him get away with this. You can’t die for his crimes, it’s not fair.”

“It’s too late, Rin. They’ve already made up their minds. I’m a murder. I’ll be disposed of like the trash I am.”

Rin instinctively grimaced. “I’ll make them see. I will. I promise. You’ll see.”

The large sliding door was yanked open followed quickly by shouting from the policemen barreling through the door. Rin watched as they forced Haru onto his chest to handcuff him behind his back. Within a few moments, they were dragging him to his feet and out the door. And then Sousuke was there, asking him a million questions with nothing but concern mixed with relief washed across his face. 

Ignoring everything Sousuke was trying to say, Rin blurted, “You’ve got the wrong guy. Sousuke, they have to let him go.” He was pulling on his restraints again.

“Rin, calm down,” Sousuke tried to reason. “Someone cut him loose!”

“You calm down,” Rin snapped, his words flinging out of his mouth without pause. “He didn’t kill that cop. He’s not a murder. You need to let him go.”

“Rin, breathe. You’ve had a really trying day. You’re okay now. You’re going to be okay. Right now, I need you to calm down.”

“I don’t give a damn. Sousuke, you have to believe me,” Rin begged, the desperation catching in the back of his throat nearly preventing him from continuing. He had to do something to stop Haru’s sentencing. There would be an interrogation, Rin knew that much. And the prosecutor wouldn’t be on his side. Considering the circumstances, one look at Haru’s tattoo and it would be over for him. They’d charge him with murder, and he’d be hanged for his crimes.

The ropes holding him back fell slack. Rin tried to make a break for the door, but Sousuke caught him in his arms. “Rin, calm down,” he demanded, unwilling to let him go. Yet, Rin fought. “Calm down or I’ll make you calm down.”

“Let me go,” Rin cried out, determination unwavering. He had to reach Haru. He had to help. He had to do something.

A fist slammed into his stomach and the world around him instantly blackened.

~

The lights were too bright. A rhythmic, systemic beeping was the first thing Rin could distinguish as his body attempted to pull him from the fog. His body ached like he’d been dragged through the police academy again, each one of his muscles seared with pain from the slightest of movements. Something stopped the momentum of his arm as he attempted to wipe the haziness from his half-lidded eyes.

“It’s better if you lie still.”

Sousuke.

Rin’s eyes shot open looking for the familiar face in the unfamiliar surroundings. The annoying beeping machine’s pace began to speed up as he examined the room.

“Calm down, Rin. You’re safe. Everything is okay. Gave us a damn good scare, but you’ll pull through. The doc says you can be discharged in the morning–”

Rin was shaking his head violently. They’d brought him to the hospital, naturally. The beeping was his heart rate electronically displayed on a screen and the invisible tie holding his arm at bay was the IV line. “The morning?!” With the amount of sunlight pouring through the window, it already had to be midday. Tomorrow morning would be too late. “No, Sousuke,” Rin interrupted. “I have to go. You’ve got to get me back to the police station immediately.”

“Rin, we’ll get your statement when you’re feeling better–” Sousuke tried again, but Rin interrupted him once more.

“You don’t understand.” Rin forced himself into a seated position. The room dodged in and out of focus. His untethered hand reached for his head but stopped short when he noticed the bandage. Dropping his hand slowly into his lap, Rin inspected his wrists. The wraps were slightly bloodstained, and to keep them covering Rin’s wounds, the doctors wrapped them precisely around his fingers and slightly up his forearm. Each one had a brace to prevent him from moving his wrist too much and opening the wounds further.

“They’re worried they’ll get infected,” came Sousuke’s quiet remark. Rin turned to see his partner who was casually sitting in a chair next to his bed. Dark circles ringed under his eyes. He looked worn down, thinner, sickly almost. Certainly due to the stress Rin had caused. He’d been missing for a whole day and what a day it had turned out to be. Eyes following the exterior of the room, they found the stacks of styrofoam cups on the bedside table, all of which Rin figured Sousuke had drank coffee from. Just how long had he been cooped up here anyway? At least overnight was the assumption he came to. And by the looks of it, Sousuke had been there the whole time.

“I’m sorry to cause you so much trouble,” Rin apologized, his body giving way to exhaustion and guilt as he fell against his pillow. His heart rate declined to a more reasonable pace. “I tried so hard to make something happen I guess I lost myself in the world around me.” Hiyori’s laugh echoed pretentiously in Rin’s mind his hand tightening into a fist. “But please, Sousuke, you have to listen to me when I say he didn’t kill that police officer. You’ve got the wrong guy.”

Sousuke sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Rin took the moment to add, “Take my statement now while I still have the chance to save an innocent life.”

“I tried to relay your message from last night but Mikoshiba isn’t having it. He’s dead set that the Yellow Phantom killed that police officer. But I got a look at those wounds up close…there’s no way in hell. The attack pattern, the cut on his face, they all match the murder weapon from our officer’s case, but there’s no way it’ll hold up in court. So, unless you have compelling evidence, your boy is being sent straight to the gallows and the only people who believe he’s innocent are us.”

Maroon eyes leveled with teal. “Tono cut him–” Rin’s strangled voice caught in his throat. Swallowing to control his emotions, he started again, “Wait, you believe me?”

“You’ve given me no reason not to,” Sousuke smiled. “But before we go, I just want to know how it is you’re going to do to get him out of this mess.”

Rin paused. He could feel the blood in his veins freezing. What was he going to do? It wasn’t like he had a plan or anything. For all he knew, they could’ve been holding Haru in a detention facility outside of the department while they prepared for the prosecutor. And then what? Was he going to break him out? That was beyond illegal. But they had a deadline in a few hours, it wasn’t as if he could talk Mikoshiba into Haru being innocent during that time. If Sousuke couldn’t then there was no way he was going to listen to Rin.

“Rin, calm down.”

Rin sucked in a breath of air. His panic must’ve been apparent because Sousuke’s eyebrows had furrowed together in worry. He released all the air in his lungs in one go. “I don’t know. I don’t have a plan.”

His partner began to chuckle. It was hardly a laughing matter. Did Sousuke even realize the gravity of the situation? Of course not. How could he when the only people who knew of Hiyori’s plan other than his own family were Haru and Rin. One was detained and probably unwilling to talk, and the other was a rookie without a voice. It was all up to Rin, voiceless or not. He had to make himself heard.

“Don’t laugh. The Yellows are in danger. If we don’t do something by tonight, all hell is going to break loose. And with the real murderer leading the pack, who knows how many will die tonight.” Sousuke’s entire demeanor changed. “I made a promise I intend to keep. But to keep it I need Haru out of jail. I can’t do this alone. Can I trust you to help me?”

Sousuke stared at him without saying a word. It was unnerving to the point Rin was rather glad he didn’t say anything about the yakuza or the makeshift plan he was currently formulating in his mind. Unsure how his partner would react to doing something extremely illegal at a time like this, Rin swallowed his doubts and spoke more decisively.

“A lot of people will be in danger, Sousuke. This isn’t some petty fight.” Rin still couldn’t find the proper way to bring in the yakuza, and that was the best he could come up with to make his point. If Sousuke thought their path would go down that road, his partner would quickly disagree and turn Rin and himself as far away from the Abyss as he possibly could. Rin just hoped Sousuke was willing to help with the minimal truth he did manage to share, and that he could trust him enough to make the right choices.

“It really was Tono, huh?” Sousuke more or less mumbled to himself. He seemed deep in thought for a few more moments before he spoke again. “Deal. But we’re doing this my way, understand? The last thing I need is for you to land in prison too. Or worse.”

Sousuke got to his feet and walked toward the door. Rin was shaking from the excitement. One hurdle down, ten million to go. He watched Sousuke check the hallway before closing the hospital room door tightly. He returned to his seat with a determined expression on his face.

When he spoke, his voice was low. “Here’s the plan. You’re going to rest here for a few more hours. Around lunchtime, I’ll be back to make sure you’re discharged properly after you get a decent meal. I can’t have you passing out on me mid-operation. Together we’re going to head to the bar and warn Kirishima of the danger they’re in. You’re not to spend more than five minutes there, do you understand? I can’t have you getting shot in the back this time around. When you’re finished with your plea train, we’re heading back to the office and we’re going to break him out of jail. When this is all over, I expect him to waltz back into prison, willingly, with his hands restrained behind his back. Do you understand?”

“I don’t know if he’ll willingly go back to prison–”

“No exceptions,” Sousuke sternly ordered.

“I’ll try and reason with him,” Rin choked. If they managed to live until dawn, that was.

Clearing the bedside table of the trash pile Sousuke had collected over the last several hours, he turned to Rin one last time before he left for the morning. “You can count on me, but I expect you to follow my lead. This won’t be easy, and we could both end in jail because of this. What you’re choosing to do affects more than just yourself. I just want you to understand that. If this hunch of yours isn’t correct–”

“He had plenty of opportunities to kill me, Sousuke. I know what I saw, and I heard the confession. I know he didn’t kill that officer. It was Tono. It _is_ Tono.”

“Fair enough.” Sousuke flashed him a smile. “When I come back, I expect a full debriefing on what happened yesterday, and I don’t want you to leave a single detail out.”

Rin’s face instinctively flushed at Sousuke’s demand. Thankfully, his partner didn’t seem to notice as he left the room, his mind already busy sorting out the details. As he tried to make himself more comfortable in the hospital bed, Rin’s mind seemed to fixate on what happened between him and Haru the night before. How close he’d gotten to him, the trails of fire his touch left as he glided across Rin’s skin, how he offered to feed him come morning. He had the opportunity to go much further with Rin restrained to his bed, yet he didn’t. Haru stopped when Rin told him to. Sighing the thoughts away, he commiserated himself for being so green. Haru was a little unrefined around the edges, sure, but he’d never met someone so fierce before. Even when this was over, Rin was beginning to think he’d have a hard time forgetting Tokyo’s one and only Yellow Phantom.

Cursing Sousuke for bringing the gritty details back to the surface, Rin now faced another hurdle. How exactly could he tell him about his night with Haru in detail?

~

His wounds throbbed. With only minimal first aid and no food or water, Haru felt like a beached dolphin – stranded, alone, and condemned to die a slow and painful death. It’s been over twelve hours since he’d been shackled to a table in the interrogation room, and during those twelve hours he hadn’t said a single word, hadn’t been offered a single drink, and beyond doubt, hadn’t let this Mikoshiba character have a single triumphant moment in this interrogation.

As expected, they took one look at the tattoo down his arm and assumed his guilt. And though Mikoshiba had been running his mouth for the last ten out of twelve hours, they had no physical evidence other than the half-cocked testimony of the cop Hiyori slaughtered. He may have been a friend of Haru’s in the past, but he certainly didn’t do him any favors passing into the afterlife. Since they lacked evidence, Haru figured they were waiting on lab work to finalize and fingerprints to match. Then he’d be shipped off to the prosecutor to await a death sentence. Even though he was staring death in the face, Haru truly thought it would be more frightening. Yet, the only feeling coursing through his blood was the regret of putting a lifetime of his own problems on the shoulders of someone he barely had the chance to meet.

How many times did Natsuya warn him not to get involved with others for this reason exactly? Haru could almost feel his patronizing scowl from halfway across Tokyo. The life he lived was best lived alone. That way, at the end of the day, the only person hurting from his actions was himself. If he could be thankful for anything, at least he’d finally get what he wanted; freedom from the curse of the Yellow Phantom.

The door swung inward. Instinctively, Haru’s eyes shifted looking for that ridiculous mop of red hair. It was a false sense of hope thinking Rin would come to talk to him. All he wanted to do was apologize. And when he found teal eyes and raven hair of another cop, his hope burned into anger.

The officer placed a cold bottle of water in front of Haru before crossing his arms in front of his chest. The chair across from Haru remained empty. “Rin sends his regards.”

Haru’s eyes narrowed. Turning his head to the door, an irked tsk slipped between his tight lips. Fucking hell, one mention of Rin and he was already breaking the silent treatment. At least it wasn’t to Mikoshiba or he’d never hear the end of it.

“I turned off the recording device. Five minutes is all I can give you. I know you don’t want to talk so I’ll ask you this. I need you to tell me the truth. Rin thinks you’re innocent, and be damned, has me thinking he might actually be right. As far as I’m concerned, I can trust you about as far as I can throw you. So, in order for this to pan out as I want, I need you to start talking.”

“The truth?” Haru scoffed, rolling his eyes. This cop had nerves of steel asking him a question like that after the night he had with the chief. “And trust? How can I trust you?”

“Believe me, if Rin was well enough to be here, he’d be the one sitting in front of you now.” The man looked down at the watch strapped to his wrist. “Four and a half minutes remaining.”

Haru’s eyes narrowed. It wouldn’t hurt to ask, would it? “Is he okay? Did they hurt him?”

“Physically? He did more harm to himself. Mentally? Honestly, he hasn’t been conscious long enough for me to tell.”

Impulsively, Haru’s hands tightened into fists.

“Four minutes,” the cop impatiently sighed. “I know you haven’t reacted to anything Mikoshiba said all evening. You didn’t flinch when he told you about the death penalty. Yet you showed concern just now when I mentioned Rin. You obviously care a little for him. So, you can remain silent until your death or you can at least tell me the truth. If not for your wellbeing, then Rin’s. From where I’m standing, you’ve got nothing to lose.”

Haru’s eyes leveled with the policeman hovering above him. He looked exhausted, drained from the stress and worry from searching for his partner that was supposed to be under Haru’s care. Yet, he didn’t immediately jump to the conclusion that he was some homicidal lunatic. And Haru couldn’t help but think Rin was the sole reason for that. Would he listen if Haru told him the truth? Would it matter in the long run? Would some else’s life be spared at that moment? And what would Rin think of him now? Haru took in a shaky breath. It was now or never, recording or not, “I don’t carry weapons, I’m not a murderer, I don’t take hostages, and don’t associate me with those psychopaths. I’m their ticket in and nothing more than a floor mat they use to wipe their dirty feet.”

“Their ticket in?”

Haru could’ve thrown a chair across the room out of frustration. Of course he didn’t have an inkling of what either of Tokyo’s two gangs were actually doing. Stifling his urge to strangle the policeman until his teal eyes turned red, Haru hissed under his breath just loud enough for him to hear, “And that proves you don’t have a clue what’s going on under your very nose. Worthless cop then, worthless cop now.”

“Fine. Let the capital punishment decide your innocence. I’m sure Rin would love to know he’s fighting for someone who doesn’t give a damn about their own life.”

Haru couldn’t help but snort at his comment. The cop gave him an inquisitive look but there wasn’t any way he could tell him he was born trash and would die trash without him truly understanding what it was like to live on the streets. Every day was a struggle to survive. Middle class civilians could never wrap their mind around the concept but would rather dish money out to even richer people to dispose of the problem indefinitely.

“So be it, phantom.” Sousuke shrugged after a few moments of silence, his shoulders lifting indifferently. He beelined straight for the door. When his hand turned the doorknob Haru’s lips slipped.

“I’m not afraid to die,” came out of Haru’s throat scratchy and without prompting. It felt silly to throw that out there after the seriousness of the conversation they were having, but in a way, it felt like his final stand. It wasn’t as if he didn’t know the path he was treading would lead him to this fate. It was destiny fulfilling her lifelong aspiration. Haru’s life would always end in an early death. There simply wasn’t any way around it.

Sousuke hesitated in the doorway, serious eyes turning to meet him one last time. “Everyone is afraid of something, phantom. We’ll just see about that.”


	7. A Plan Set in Motion

_ Part 7 – A Plan Set in Motion _

Sunday, April 2nd

5:49 PM

Rin fiddled with the bandages around his wrists, his mind far too preoccupied with the tasks set out before him. The seat belt strapped around his body felt heavy against his shoulder and hips. Even though he was glad Sousuke was there for him, Rin couldn’t help but feel like he wasn’t telling him everything. They’d gone over the plan and discussed what happened to Rin the night before, not in as much detail as Rin was originally fearing, thank the heavens. But something in his partner’s teal eyes was holding back, something Rin couldn’t quite get out of him, and he couldn’t figure out what.

“You can pull up front,” Rin said to kill the silence between them. They were a few minutes away from reaching the bar. He pulled at the collar of his shirt to stifle the growing suffocating feeling present in his throat. One step at a time, he reminded himself. Although, the real anxiety was reserved for when they will attempt to break Haru out of prison.

“I can practically hear you thinking over there, Matsuoka,” Sousuke surmised with a witty smile sewn across his lips. It felt genuine, yet wary. “Try not to worry so much. It’s Sunday. The office will be quiet. The only major hurdle we have to worry about is the chief. Then we just have to put him back into jail. Either way, I’ll keep Mikoshiba distracted while you sneak Nanase out and when it’s all over we’ll plead for our jobs. As long as he doesn’t draw too much attention, this should go down without a hitch.”

Rin’s face sunk. “Nothing to worry about, huh?”

Sousuke pulled the car to the curb and threw it into park. “Sometimes it’s better to ask forgiveness than permission.” Holding out Rin’s untouched cell phone they must’ve recovered at the warehouse, Sousuke eyed him with a look that killed the last ray of hope in Rin’s body.

Sighing, Rin grabbed his phone, clicked his seatbelt free, and wrenched open the door.

“Five minutes!” Sousuke called but Rin slammed the door in his face. Swiftly looking around him, Rin tried to familiarize himself with the surroundings. Through the light drizzle of rain, nothing stood out more than the normal strangeness of this particular area of Tokyo. No suspicious looking people. No Hiyori. Hopefully he wasn’t hiding in the bar. Worrying the inside of his cheek, Rin pressed forward.

Walking into the bar at 6 o’clock on a Sunday elicited a feeling Rin couldn’t quite place. It’d been two days since he’d met Haru here, two day since he’d bought the Yellow Phantom a drink, two days and his life had severely turned upside down. Other than a quiet couple near the door, the bar was deserted. Rin gnawed a little too hard and tasted blood in his mouth.

“Please sit wherever you’d like!” came a cheery voice to Rin’s left. Makoto was sitting at a booth near the window folding napkins. Either he didn’t know about Haru’s predicament, or he was far too good at hiding the apprehension in his eyes.

“Is Kirishima here today?” Rin asked, taking a gamble. Makoto physically paused for a few devastating moments before turning his green stare back to Rin. He continued regardless of the strange look, “Please, it’s regarding Nanase.”

“Just wait here a moment.” The concern was written all across Makoto’s face now. He disappeared behind the door that led to the kitchen. If Rin hadn’t followed Haru out that way when he made his escape, Rin wouldn’t have known where it led. Seconds turned into minutes and the longer Rin stood there, the more strange looks he received from the only couple in the bar. When the door to the kitchen swung open again, Makoto was escorting Nao, not Natsuya. Rin would’ve been lying if he thought his whole body didn’t physically sink.

“I’m sorry, Kirishima’s out at the moment. Can I take a message for him?” Nao put on a brave smile, his voice was soft and kind. Much to Sousuke’s chagrin, he wasn’t at all like he was described. He was almost a different person than he was two nights ago. Though it didn’t fool him.

Rin was already shaking his head. “I have to speak with him. It’s urgent.” This was already turning out to be a bigger hassle than he bargained for. But maybe, just maybe, Nao could be the key to this whole thing. After all, Rin distinctly remembered Sousuke saying he was the brains of the operation. Nao had to be as good as Natsuya in this situation.

Hopefully.

Nao glanced at the couple sitting nearby and met eyes with Rin again. “I don’t think I got your name.”

“It’s Matsuoka. Matsuoka Rin. I was here two nights ago. Do you remember me?”

Nao looked him over again pondering Rin’s words. The unsettling, judgmental silence that followed was unnerving. After a solid thirty seconds of his light green eyes starting from the top of his head and working their way down, only to come full circle back to Rin’s face did Nao finally speak, “How about you come sit down for a bit?”

Rin looked out the window to Sousuke’s car still idling at the curb. A mix of guilt and dismay filled his stomach and churned it into knots. He was a sitting duck out there and Rin could very well be regarded as just another casualty. The five minute window was about to end. Would Sousuke come barging in here if Rin remained inside the building longer than allotted time frame? He couldn’t risk it.

“Thank you for your hospitality, but I can’t stay long. I was asked to pass along a message, that’s all.” Nao nodded and motioned for Rin to migrate out of earshot from the patrons. Following them both to the bar, Rin’s heart rate began elevating. He eyed the barstool he’d occupied that night and the seat Haru was so casually slumped in. He could even picture the spot Hiyori’s head was forcefully rammed into the mahogany; the sickly cracking noise still haunted his dreams.

“Alright, Rin. You officially have my attention. What’s this about Nanase? And what is this message you have?” Nao began, his tone low.

“Since Kirishima isn’t here, I’m hoping you’ll be able to help,” Rin said, keeping his voice just above a whisper. To validate his accusation, Rin dug out his police badge and laid it on the bar hoping it would lend him a little credibility. “Last night, Haru went to confront the Abyss. I can’t spare you the details, but Hiyori’s men set him up, and because of me, the police arrested him. They’re desperate to hang him for crimes I know he didn’t commit. I’m here because he asked me to tell you that Tono is coming for you tonight. He said you’d need help.”

Nao’s behavior changed as his body stiffened. Makoto looked like he’d seen a ghost. Nao whispered with an eerie sense of calm Rin knew was manufactured, “That’s what he said?”

“Hiyori will be coming for them tomorrow and they need to know they’re in danger. They’re going to need help,” Rin recalled word for word from memory. Instantly greeted with a sense of peace after finally getting the repetitive voice out of his mind, Rin paused a few moments to watch Nao turn toward Makoto. They shared a concerned look before Nao set his gaze back on Rin.

“I think you might be mistaken.”

Rin leveled the gravest expression he could muster. “Tono Hiyori is coming tonight, if you believe me or not, it’s up to you. I know you don’t know me, or have any reason to trust me, but I made a promise to Haru and I fully intend on keeping it. That’s the only reason I’m here.” Gripping his badge, Rin stuffed it back into the internal pocket of his coat. “Serizawa. Tachibana,” he regarded them both before turning for the door. Unable to toss away the feeling his words didn’t quite reach the level of impact he would’ve wished, Rin still felt like his point was made. It was up to Nao to believe him and to do what was necessary to survive.

About three paces from the door, Nao called out. “Best of luck to you, Matsuoka.”

Rin swiveled as he reached for the door. “And to you as well.”

He didn’t stop until he was securely strapped into Sousuke’s vehicle. His partner put the car in drive and took off toward downtown. For a few minutes they sat in silence. Rin replayed the conversation in his head wondering if he should’ve added anything else. Just as the feeling of Sousuke withholding information, Rin got the distinct feeling Nao was too.

“That took seven minutes. I was about to barge in guns blazing.”

Rin heavily sighed, comparatively relieved Sousuke remained in the car. “Sorry. I just…” Rin groaned and pulled at his hair, fear of the unknown sapping the strength to continue with this ridiculous notion of upholding justice. “I had to talk with Serizawa. I hope he believed me, though I felt like he was hiding something.”

Sousuke remained silent. Not entirely unusual, but a little uncanny.

Rin turned his narrowed eyes at him. “Like you are.”

“He’s a street thief, Rin. I’m sure he’d be wary of a child barging in on his place spewing nonsense about a friend of his and then telling him their lives were in danger. It’s like handing him a cardboard cake with the words ‘this is real’ written across the top in icing. Can you blame him?”

“Thank you for summing that up,” Rin replied sarcastically. He slumped into the passenger’s seat, crossing his arms over his chest.

“The cake is a lie.”

“Okay, I get it,” Rin snapped. “Please, no more cake puns. He’s playing it close to his chest as he should. That explains why he didn’t tell me everything, but why aren’t you?”

“Because I know you’d be mad if I did,” came Sousuke’s surprisingly frank answer. Rin fixed his posture and turned his full attention to his partner. Maroon eyes searched Sousuke for what he was willing to admit but unwilling to share. Almost immediately Sousuke added, “Don’t give me that look, Rin. You haven’t been honest with me either.”

The knots in his stomach contorted. Rin looked out the front windshield to help prevent another nauseated episode. They passed a few buildings Rin wasn’t familiar with and when Sousuke turned down a back road, Rin started to get nervous.

“Where are we going?”

“To get dinner.”

“But Haru–”

Sousuke interrupted, “Can wait. You need to build up your strength and I need to hear the truth. The _whole_ truth.”

“I told you the truth,” Rin replied, turning away from his partner when he found a tight parking spot on the side of the road near a takeout restaurant they frequented. Rin shot him a deliberately annoyed look.

“What?” Sousuke retorted. “I ordered while you were inside the bar.”

Groaning and sliding further into the passenger’s seat, Sousuke informed Rin he wouldn’t be long and disappeared into the restaurant. Regretting his decision to leave out the yakuza in the first place, Rin was beginning to wonder if Sousuke would continue down this path with him. But the real question was, how did he find out? Unless he talked with Haru –

…shit.

The car door swung open. A large paper bag was shoved into Rin’s lap as Sousuke wedged his body into the car. “I ordered you a pork cutlet bowl. Get eating.”

“When were you going to tell me you talked to Haru?”

Sousuke’s hand hovered over the ignition as if he was contemplating what to say. Instead of starting the car, he turned back to Rin. “When you were going to tell me the whole truth.” Rin’s face paled as Sousuke’s look turned bitter, “The yakuza, Rin? Are you shitting me?”

“What do you want me to do?” Rin snapped, throwing his hands in the air. “Forget about this? Forget about Haru? Let an innocent man die for something someone else did? I thought we were police officers, Sousuke.”

“And because of that I want you to fight an honest fight,” Sousuke rallied back. “I don’t want you to get this involved with forces you can’t hope to win against. I don’t want to see you getting hurt.”

Rin bit back tears. This was how he imagined Sousuke reacting when he initially speculated about bringing the yakuza up. No matter how many times he rehearsed what he would say to his partner, having this conversation stung. “I would rather die trying than roll over and let it happen. I’m doing this with or without your help.”

Their eyes met. Sousuke looked betrayed. He still had the authority to stop Rin from making the choices he wanted. It would be easy enough to contact Mikoshiba and tell him the truth. One night in lockdown for Rin and the entire plan would be a bust. He’d be forced to fight for Haru’s freedom the legal way. The long and painful way. It just went to show how the criminals of Tokyo didn’t understand how easy they had it. Bypassing the red tape was their lifelong hobby, and as they made their escape, the police trailing them would get caught in the tangle of bureaucracy they had strewn about in their vain attempt to stop them. It wasn’t fair.

Sousuke interjected, “Who is the Yellow Phantom to you anyway? You’ve met him, what? Once? Twice now? And you’re willing to sacrifice everything to save him?

“It’s the right thing to do.”

“What happened between you two the night before Ikuya found you?”

“Nothing,” Rin replied, already getting annoyed with Sousuke’s advances.

Sousuke, however, was as persistent as ever. “You don’t go to extremes for people you just met, Rin.”

“Nothing happened, okay?”

“Are you guys, I don’t know what the young kids say, fuckbuddies?”

“ _What?_ ” Rin spat, flabbergasted. His face turned beet red.

“You’re not going to upset me. I just need to know the truth. How deep are you in it with him? Hypothetically, not – you know what I mean.”

“Not at all,” Rin spat, finally having enough of this conversation. Shoving the takeout back at Sousuke, Rin fumbled with the door handle and nearly fell onto the sidewalk. Collecting himself immediately, he shut the car door and started walking with no direction or destination in mind. The opening and closing of a car door could be heard through the afternoon rush and soon Sousuke was yelling at him to slow down.

“Rin, wait!” he called, through the rain and through the crowd. Rin remained steadfast on his journey dodging between people to get as far away from his partner as quickly as he could. Knowing he needed to blow off steam before he took it out on the wrong person, Rin chose to ignore the hand that caught his shoulder. Sousuke, however, wasn’t having it and whipped Rin around to face him again. “Wait.”

Raising an eyebrow, Rin waited for a more thorough response, preferably an apology.

“I’m sorry. I’m just trying to wrap my mind around the whole thing.”

“I think you’ve wrapped enough, thanks,” Rin said as he attempted to wriggle out of Sousuke’s grasp, though he couldn’t quite get out of his tremendous grip.

“Can you get back into the car? Please?”

Rin measured the desperation in Sousuke’s eyes along with the strength in his hand. “Fine,” he admitted, rather annoyed with the passersby giving them strange looks. Must’ve been the day. They shuffled back to the car, which Sousuke promptly started and began driving down the road almost as if he were afraid Rin would bail on him again.

“I’m sorry for asking, it’s none of my business,” Sousuke finally said after a few minutes of silence. Rin could feel the apprehension in his voice like he wanted to push for more answers but decided it was better to hold back. “But what is part of my business is keeping you safe. Do you have any idea how much pain and anxiety you caused me when you went missing? I couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat. You damn near killed me, Rin.”

“I said I was sorry-” Rin tried to defend himself but Sousuke took one of his hands off the wheel and raised it in front of Rin’s face to silence him.

“I’m not done,” Sousuke continued, his tone turning serious. The car shifted as he took a left turn. “Now you’re telling me the yakuza are involved? Do you realize the position this puts me in?” He didn’t wait for a reply. “I can’t lose you, Rin. I won’t.”

“Then help me,” Rin begged. “This would go so much smoother if you have my back.”

Sousuke countered, “It would go smoother if you chose the right path. Street scum are street scum. Let them have their fight. You stick to your job and work on getting the Yellow Phantom out of jail during business hours and they’ll do what they do best. You’ve kept your promise. You’ve done everything you’ve been asked. At this point, whatever happens, happens. It’s out of our control.”

“It’s not out of our control,” Rin continued, unwilling to lose this fight. “I can help.”

“You’ll only get in the way,” Sousuke snapped, his voice rising to a level Rin hadn’t heard before. It stunned him into silence. His partner’s conviction was sincere. If it could be helped, Sousuke would remove Rin from this fight altogether.

“He was my partner, you know. My senpai. And some bastard had the gall to murder him in the most horrific way.” Rin’s stomach dropped with the realization. Sousuke had pulled into his designated spot inside the police station’s parking garage as he let the truth drop like a mic after a killer performance. His face was stiff from the pain he was reliving, his voice dry. With his eyes trailed on something so far in the distance, Sousuke looked like a different person. All this time, all of the questions, all in pursuit of the Yellow Phantom and Rin never knew. He never even bothered to ask.

“Sousuke…I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”

“Stay out of this fight, Rin. I beg you.”

Rin bit his lip, fighting back a wave of sadness for his partner. The takeout bag still sitting in his lap crunched as his hands tightened into fists around the flimsy paper. “You know I can’t.”

Heartbreak and a small bit of understanding passed through Sousuke’s teal eyes as he leveled his discontented stare back on Rin. “Promise me this won’t end in a burial.”

“I promise to be careful. If anyone from the yakuza comes knocking, I’ll be sure to bail. You have my word.”

Sousuke nodded solemnly before sucking in a large breath of air through his nose. He let it out slowly, the windshield fogging up from the sudden displacement of heat. Under his breath he added, “You’re just like him, you know?” And without another word he grabbed the takeout bag from Rin’s lap and exited the vehicle. Rin followed to find Sousuke popping the trunk of his car and digging through what sounded like several plastic bags.

“You remembered a replacement shirt, right?”

“Ehh,” Rin sighed. “I think I have something in my locker.”

“Make sure you grab it,” Sousuke said, all traces of his earlier break in character wiped away. All seriousness aside, he handed Rin a bag. Within it, he spotted a gray maintenance uniform and a toolbelt filled with an assortment of tools. They looked real at first glance, but after a few moments Rin realized they were plastic.

“Are you sure this is going to work?” Rin asked again, doubt finding its way into his voice.

“I went to the best cosplay store Tokyo has to offer. Of course it’s going to work.”

Sighing the sarcastic comment away, Rin hooked the bag over his forearm and waited for Sousuke to lock up his vehicle. Outstretching his hand, his partner dangled the keys in front of his face. “If you get one scratch on my baby, you’re going to wish you died out there.”

Rin’s eyes lit up. It wasn’t a dream, Sousuke was letting Rin borrow his car. “Really?” he found himself sputtering, gently grabbing the keys from his partner’s hand. They felt warm against his palm. “I won’t let you down.”

Sousuke nodded. “Okay. Follow my lead. As soon as I get Mikoshiba distracted, sneak down to the holding cells. You won’t have a lot of time so make sure you watch your back.”

“And if the chief is interrogating him?”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”

Reassurance out of the question, Rin nodded regardless and followed Sousuke up the four flights of stairs to the Tokyo Police Department’s office space. Each step was harder than the last as the realization of going through with something incredibly illegal weighed on his shoulders. Rin continued to ask himself if this was the right decision, if Haru was truly worth the risk of losing his job, his pension, and probably being jailed for a period of time. If this failed, he’d never be able to work in the force again. And here Rin was dragging his partner who already tasted the bitterness of total defeat when it came to facing Hiyori into the middle of it.

Was this really the right thing to do?

“Is that takeout?”

Rin’s entire body froze. Doing a slow motion pan toward the source, Rin’s maroon eyes fell onto his chief. Mikoshiba was approaching them both, golden eyes drawn to the bag Sousuke had in his hand. Did he know? Would he find out? What was Rin thinking? He couldn’t go through with this.

“We can’t slip anything past you,” Sousuke replied, smiling as if nothing was happening, as if they weren’t about to disobey fifty laws breaking Haru out of prison. “We thought you’d be getting hungry. And with the interrogation lasting as long as it has, we decided to swing by and grab you something on the way in.”

“The bastard still refuses to talk. I’m giving him some time to think things over. So, is Matsuoka ready for his debriefing?” Mikoshiba asked, crossing his arms over his chest with a broad smile on his face. “Feeling better, are we?”

“Yes, Mikoshiba, ma’am – I mean sir.”

If Sousuke’s look could kill.

“Good. You know I can’t turn down hot takeout, so we’ll talk when we’re done eating,” Mikoshiba said without hesitation. He was rubbing his belly gently. Rin could’ve sworn he heard it growling. As usual, Sousuke knew him too well. As he handed over the bag to their chief, Sousuke eyed Rin before gesturing toward the elevator. That was his cue to go.

“Please excuse me. I have some stuff to put in my locker. I’ll meet up with both of you in a bit.”

“Don’t be too long,” Sousuke warned, a devious smile curled the corner of his lips. “Mikoshiba might eat your meal.”

Rin forced a smile, excused himself, and tried to walk as calmly and unsuspiciously as he could toward the elevator, hitting the up button the moment he was out of sight from his coworkers. Agonizing second after agonizing second, he stood there anticipating the small dinging noise and the sound of the doors opening to bring him further into the hole he already dug for himself.

The second elevator, the one on his right, chimed happily. Too happily. Rin scrambled inside the tiny compartment and hit the button that would take him to his locker one floor up. The door slid shut slowly and after a small jostle, he was finally moving. Deciding it would be faster to take the steps on his return trip, Rin disembarked when the elevator came to a stop, the doors not even halfway open before he forced himself through. He took a few turns and came face to face with his work locker. Turning the combination by memory, he forced open the flimsy metal door and grabbed the only shirt he kept there. Within a few seconds, he was already running for the stairs. Adrenaline fueled panic shifting him through the building at unusual speeds, Rin sprinted down two flights to the holding cells.

Busting the door open, he meandered through the empty hall. An eerie sense of calm overcame him. Only the emergency lights helped guide his path at this hour. He approached the double doors separating him from the holding cells and paused. This was the moment of truth. To continue could mean certain death, the possibility of living his life back home with his mom no longer employed as a police officer. To stop would satisfy Sousuke’s need to protect him, his life would continue on, silently screaming in a room full of people who refused to listen to him. Gritting his teeth and reaching out his hand, he pushed the lever and the door swung inward, a little too easily, casting a low cry as the internal mechanisms engaged.

Silence greeted him like a familiar adversary. At first Rin thought he might’ve gotten the wrong floor, that somehow Sousuke had made him believe Haru was in a holding cell because that’s what he was told. Maybe the truth revealed him still tied up in an interrogation room and this was all a ploy to snuff out any attempts at breaking Haru free. Rin stepped forward. The first cell was empty, as was the second. The third had been recently vacated, which knotted Rin’s stomach. Did he even continue on? He would only be wasting precious time if Haru wasn’t here. Only two cells left, Rin counted, heading for the fourth. Begging silently, he peered around the corner.

A pair of familiar blue eyes met his apprehensive stare through the metal set of bars.

At that moment, Rin could’ve melted as he breathed a sigh of relief, “Haru.”


	8. The Rescue

_Part 8 – The Rescue_

Sunday, April 2nd

7:13 PM

Haru’s eyes burned behind his eyelids. It hadn’t been more than a few hours since Mikoshiba had him escorted to the holding cells to take some time to ruminate over the interrogation. Though sleep deprived and beyond exhausted, Haru’s body refused to relax enough to rest. Mind churning over the seconds ticking by, he wondered if Rin had managed to talk to Natsuya or if he’d abandoned him in the end. Would his family survive the night? Would Hiyori win his bet for a place within the yakuza? Was Ikuya the one who prompted all of this in the first place? There were so many questions left unanswered. Was this how everyone on death row felt? Unsatisfied, agitated, and bitter because they would never have the chance to know what the following day would bring?

Fed up and frustrated, Haru began to pace. He tried counting sheep, and when that failed, began counting the blocks on the walls. After reaching a number close to three hundred, he gave up. Haru even fiddled with the door to see if he could manage to break out. Nothing worked. All he had left was an unsettling feeling stirring in the bottom of his stomach with no hope to stop it. He was nearly at a breaking point, begging and pleading for sleep to overcome him. But it seemed like whatever was out there wasn’t that kind. He was left to his consuming thoughts and the fear that slowly began leeching onto every little doubt that popped into his head.

There was a noise, something Haru thought he was imagining at first, but upon closer inspection sounded like the stairway door. Since his holding cell was at the end of the hall, he had no way of knowing who was coming or going. Haru debated the options, briefly contemplating farfetched escape plans. However, realizing it was probably Mikoshiba on his way to retrieve him, he chose to sit down on the only excuse of a bed in the room and wait. The interrogation room was better than this solitary hell, even if he had to listen to Mikoshiba ramble for hours on end.

But there was nothing. No further sounds, no indication anyone had stopped on his floor, nothing. Silence, yet again, greeted him inconsolably. Reclining against the cool wall behind him, Haru closed his tired eyes. There would be a time to criticize fate or destiny, but it was after a long, well deserved nap, if he could fall asleep that is. Somewhere in the back of Haru’s mind, a voice reminded him he’d rest when he was dead, and a whole wave of unpredicted fear rolled over his body. Picking his head off the wall, he let it fall back against it. The noise echoed quietly around the room.

Then came another noise, this time more metallic. Haru’s body instinctively froze as he waited in anticipation. The door separating the holding cells from the elevator and stairs finally shot open. Hurried footsteps began approaching. Whoever this was, it wasn’t Mikoshiba. There was a sense of rush in each step where the police chief walked with dignity and pride. Every step had purpose for a guy like him, but not these. Picking his head off the wall again, Haru turned toward the bars of his cell with a mix of curiosity and dread. And all at once, his emotions bottomed out the moment he caught a glimpse of that ridiculous red hair.

“Haru,” Rin breathed, dropping the bag he was holding onto the ground as his hands gripped onto the metal bars separating them.

“Rin,” Haru said, nearly jumping to his feet. He met Rin at the slotted door unable to hold back the smile creeping onto his face. He gripped the bars just above Rin’s hands and continued, “You’re okay. You came back–” He caught himself, reeled his untamed rampant emotions back into place, and began again. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I dragged you into this mess. I’m afraid I put too much on your shoulders.”

“No.”

Haru’s voice caught in his throat as he physically staggered back out of surprise. The fearful Rin he had tied up in his apartment was long gone. Maybe it was a mask or some version of the man Haru had met in the bar, but this Rin felt stronger, more determined somehow.

“I’m sorry. If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t be in this mess. I came back to set things right.” Rin grabbed the bag he dropped and began pushing it through the gap between bars. “I need you to put this on as fast as you can. I got you a replacement shirt too, so you don’t have to wear your ripped one.”

Haru didn’t know what to say. No one outside of his family had ever done anything like this for him before. And even then, they knew there was no hope once he’d been picked off the streets. Not one of them would have been brave enough to break him out. And yet, here was Rin. A kid risking it all.

“I’ll be right back. I forgot to grab the key on my way in.” And he was gone. Knowing the urgency of the situation, Haru wasted no time digging through the contents of the bag Rin had brought. He pulled out the maintenance uniform first and immediately shook his head. Why in the hell would someone from maintenance be working on a Sunday? Sighing, he pushed his legs through each hole until it was situated on his hips. Remembering what Rin had said about the shirt, Haru dug through the bag again. Pulling out a yellow shirt with a ridiculous bird printed on the back, his mind instantly went back to high school.

“You done changing yet?” Rin was back. Shaking the memories away, Haru discarded his jacket on the bed and began to tug his torn shirt off. His bandages pulled at the skin near his wounds causing him to slow his movements. When the tattered shirt was free from his head, he noticed Rin facing the exit door with the slightest remnants of a blush painted across his cheeks.

For some reason his heart jolted.

“Afraid of seeing a little skin?” Haru teased, pulling the yellow fabric over his head with a slight wince.

“No,” Rin spat, a little too forcefully. And when he turned back to Haru, all traces of irritation disappeared behind a tight-lipped smile.

“Fucking hell, what size shirt do you wear? Women’s small?” Haru was nearly suffocating as he attempted to pull the shirt over his torso. With his wounds, he was struggling more than normal. Rin belted out a snort, before a hand covered his mouth the moment he met eyes with Haru’s death glare.

“You look great,” came his muffled response behind eyes that mocked his every move, “ _Yellow_ Phantom.”

Haru’s hand flew through the gap between bars and gripped onto Rin’s shirt. He pulled him against the door until he started begging for release through a suppressed laugh. Unwillingly, Haru let him slide. His pride hurt, more than he wanted to admit, but he knew he shouldn’t take it out on the one person who cared enough to try to save him. After situating the abnormally tight shirt over the rest of his abdomen, Haru covered himself up with his jacket, and finally finished dressing in the maintenance uniform.

Instead of asking how he looked, he turned to Rin and asked, “Did you go to Iwatobi too?”

“Iwatobi? No. Samezuka. My sister graduated from Iwatobi last year and got me that shirt as a farewell gift. I left for the police academy soon after. I – uh, guess it’s been a while since I’ve seen her. I’ve gained some muscle since then.”

“No kidding.”

“Wait, you said too. Did you graduate from Iwatobi?”

Ignoring Rin’s question, Haru asked, “Are we doing this or what?”

“Oh, sorry,” Rin stumbled, fishing the key from his pocket. Before inserting it into the lock, however, he hesitated. “Before I unlock this door, you have to promise to return to jail when this is all over. _Quietly_. Sousuke will have my head otherwise.”

“Yeah, sure.”

Nonchalant wasn’t the right way to answer that. Rin immediately turned defensive. “I need to know I can trust you, Haru,” Rin said again, dangling the key just far enough out of Haru’s grasp. “It’s not only your life, but my job on the line here. I can’t fight for your innocence if you refuse my help.”

Haru’s face flatlined. He tried again, “You have my word. Can we go? We’re wasting time.”

Rin nodded and stuck the key into the lock. There was an unsettling millisecond where Haru thought this might’ve all been a dream, some sleepless delusion his mind wanted so badly he had to make it up. As the door opened in front of him and Haru took his first step of freedom, a sudden surrealness passed over him. Time seemed to slow to a halt. Was this a taste of real freedom? One far away from street gangs or the yakuza?

“I thought _I_ was wasting time. Let’s get moving,” Rin grabbed the bag, closed and locked the empty cell, and was already barreling past him dead set on getting out of the police station unseen. Haru watched his shoulders for a few moments. They were broad. Steady. They held the weight of Haru’s choices with a sense of pride. Rin may have been ignorant toward the ways of Tokyo’s hidden life, but there was a level of fondness there Haru couldn’t quite explain. Smiling, he started following him.

The elevator’s motor kicked into gear.

Rin froze at the door, but it did little to stop Haru. Grabbing hold of his arm, he pulled him toward the stairs. “How many floors down to the exit?”

“Three,” Rin breathed.

They hit the stairs taking two at a time. Whoever was on the elevator wasn’t going to catch them in time. Not on Haru’s watch. He made it to the last landing first but was jerked to a stop before he could reach the door. Reeling around, he met Rin’s exhausted look.

“Don’t forget your hat,” he managed to say between gasps. The amount of stress he was under was taking its toll. “The minute you go through that door, cameras will be all over you. You have to hide your face. Especially with that cut across your cheek. It’s too noticeable.”

“What about you?” Haru asked as something pulled in his gut.

“I’ll be right behind you. I just have to settle something before we can go.”

That was a lie, but Haru was inclined to move anyway. One door separated him from total freedom from the cops. One meaningless door. But the redhead wasn’t following him for some reason. Yesterday, Haru would’ve taken it and left Rin, finished up business, and avoided the cops when everything was over. Fuck jail. However, today there was a budding hesitation and it was only growing.

“Go!” he was yelling. Haru shoved the hat over his head and pushed open the door and caught himself wanting to look back. Keeping his head down, he did as he was asked and walked out of view from the cameras. Finding a large van out of sight from the security cameras to crouch behind, he waited for Rin to reappear.

And waited.

One minute spanned to ten. Then thirty. Nerves a meddling wreck, Haru debated trying to force entry back into the police department. Thinking better of the idea, he cursed himself for not giving Rin his phone number. Even a flare of some sort would’ve done the trick. Something to tell Haru he was okay. He was risking his own life to get Haru out of there so why go back? What was taking so long?

Nearly forty minutes later, the door popped open. Two people walked out laughing. Haru dropped lower to the ground and shimmied his way underneath the van to get a better look. As they passed underneath a nearby light, he recognized them both. Mikoshiba was accompanied by the shifty cop who talked a big game about saving Rin’s life. Even more thankful he ducked out of sight; he was a little surprised neither of them were distressed from his absence. They got into a car nearby with Mikoshiba in the driver’s seat and within a few minutes the engine roared to life and they had driven off. Everything was silent again.

_Come on, Rin._

His silent begging paid off almost instantly. The door to the building opened up once more, this time, with the seemingly flustered Rin. He crossed the parking lot at a pace that was forced as his eyes searched for Haru. A reassuring warmth spilled over Haru’s cheeks. Figuring there was still plenty of time before the Abyss would make their move, Haru decided to stay out of sight for a few more minutes, just to scare Rin a little. It was the least he could do after he lied about being right behind him.

Allowing Rin to take three whole desperate circles around the parking lot, Haru wiggled his way out from underneath the van and proceeded to sneak up behind him. Gripping his mouth with one hand, Haru secured his free arm around Rin’s rather unprotected body and pulled him close.

“Gotcha.”

Rin let out a belting scream which was muffled by Haru’s palm. Letting go the moment Rin quieted his squeal, Haru couldn’t hold back the devilish smile that secured a place on his lips. Rin’s entire face was bright red as he whipped around to see his intruder with a mix of betrayal, anger, and embarrassment clearly written across his features.

“Not funny,” Rin snapped, backhanding Haru’s arm with a half-assed flip of the wrist. He immediately crossed his arms over his chest and turned away, the humiliation still clearly burning across the bridge of his nose.

Haru started pulling off the maintenance uniform as he chuckled, careful not to agitate his wounds further. “Since when did right behind me mean an hour?”

Impossibly, Rin’s face burned a deeper shade of red. “I had to make sure my cover wasn’t blown. I went back to the office to talk to Mikoshiba and Sousuke. Sousuke was the one who drove me here, you know.”

Nodding his head sarcastically, Haru shoved his uniform back into Rin’s hand. “Next time you break someone out of prison, don’t do that. I could’ve left and never came back.”

“But you didn’t,” came Rin’s reply. “You stayed.” Haru met his stare. The blush was diminishing but a genuine smile was emerging. One that was borderline mocking in a dangerously sweet sort of way. Almost as if Rin knew he wasn’t going to run off. The invisible tether he felt the day they met kept him rooted near Rin despite his past, despite his trust issues. Some existent force deep down wanted something more with the man standing in front of him. Unsure as to what that was exactly, Haru felt a bit of betrayal toward his own character. It was very unlike him to fall so hard.

Haru quickly changed the subject. “Oh, and by the way. Maintenance doesn’t work on Sundays. Should’ve thought of that.”

Rin’s face turned pale upon the realization. “L-Let’s go.” He picked a direction and began walking toward one of the last few cars left in the garage. Haru followed quietly debating his next move. The Abyss wouldn’t arrive for a few more hours. And with extra baggage that already managed to get in the way once, things could prove to be fairly difficult this time around too. Now that he knew Rin was safe, maybe it was better to leave him behind.

The car’s lights flashed as Rin hit the unlock button on the key he was holding in his hand. “Get in, I’m driving.”

As he pulled the door open, Haru came up behind him and pushed it closed. Rin took a cautionary step back when he closed the gap between them but was stopped short when his body hit the car. Placing a hand near Rin’s head, Haru leaned in close.

Rin was instantly pudding.

“I never thanked you earlier for getting me out of there,” Haru said, laying it on thick. He traced a finger across the top of Rin’s waistband. Rin clutched the maintenance uniform tight against his body as Haru watched his breathing turn shallow. His heart must’ve been pounding. Cheeks tinged pink, Rin was almost distracted enough for Haru to remove the key from his hand. Almost wasn’t good enough though. He pressed his body against Rin’s making sure to grind his hips just right. Bringing his lips near his ear, Haru whispered, “Thank you.”

A shiver ran up the entire length of Rin’s body. “No,” he groaned quietly. Haru was certain every fiber of his being wanted to say yes. Yet, it seemed to break his concentration on Haru’s movements. “Don’t...Haru. Please.”

“Come on,” Haru whispered, reaching for the key in his hand. Goosebumps erupted down the side of Rin’s neck just below his hairline. But even now, Rin’s fist tightened when he felt Haru’s delicate touch on his wrist.

Rin tried to turn his whole body away from him. With how close Haru was, he mostly turned his head. “I fell for that trick once. I’m not falling for it again.”

Haru couldn’t hide the surprise as he realized how astute Rin was. He may have been young, but he wasn’t by any means slow on the uptake. It was no wonder why the Tokyo Police Department hired him. Haru considered that thought just a moment; Rin was probably the top of his class, he was in good shape by the tone of his abs, and his judgement was outstanding. The only real thing he was missing was experience. But, as experiences go, wasn’t this a once in a lifetime take on what happens when assholes try to work the system? A smile slithered onto Haru’s lips as he backed off. That stupid growing pain in his chest was nearly impossible to ignore now. Maybe bringing him along wouldn’t be such a bad idea. The least he could do was call for backup in case the yakuza got involved. Despite the fact this was just a trial of sorts for the Abyss, it was highly unlikely they’d make an appearance.

“Fine, but you stay in the car.”

Pouting slightly, Rin crossed his arms over his chest, still clutching the keys as if his life depended on it. Smart kid.

“You’re the one who got caught in the first place,” Haru reminded him.

“ _Fine._ ” Still flustered, Rin pulled open the driver’s side door again and this time Haru let him. He watched Rin carefully get into the car, toss the uniform into the back seat, and begin adjusting the seat and the mirrors for someone his height. For some reason he left the car door open. Mesmerized by the simple actions Rin was taking as he went through a mental checklist preparing the car for departure, Haru couldn’t help but stare. Each movement was so fluid; Rin was sure of himself. There was no doubt in his mind he knew how to drive but was denied the car in such a crowded city. Haru pitied his own childhood briefly. There was so much he missed out on because he grew up in the difficult situation he now found himself fighting. A sigh escaped his lips.

“You getting in or what?” Rin asked, still bitter about their agreement. His eyes met Haru and his body seemed to slow down to a stop. A look of concern passed across his face. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Haru said, a little too disheartened for his liking. He crossed around the backside of the car, pulled open the door and got in. Sousuke’s car still smelled new and for some reason, it didn’t come as a surprise to Haru. Even though he only talked to him for a few minutes at the station, he got a good feel for what sort of person Rin’s friend was.

“Please buckle up. And don’t touch anything,” Rin warned, his temperament at a manageable level again. All traces of his earlier embarrassment and resentment were gone. The engine roared to life. “Sousuke will kill me.”

Doing as he was told, Haru strapped the seat belt around his torso before his eyes rested on Rin again. He stared at him for a few moments as he cautiously backed out of the parking space. Once clear, he left the garage. Surprisingly for the hour, there was little traffic and Rin was driving slower than Haru’s liking. “Can you pick up the pace a little? Even my dead grandma could drive faster than you.”

“No, Sousuke will-”

“Kill you, yeah,” Haru groaned loudly, “I heard you the first time.” Reclining in his seat, Haru began rolling up and down the window. And when that didn’t elicit some sort of negative reaction from Rin, he pulled open the glovebox. Partially shocked it wasn’t locked, Haru watched as a handgun rolled out from the car’s storage container.

“Put that back,” Rin hissed.

Haru didn’t. Instead, he picked it up and began inspecting it. Weighing it in his hands, he ejected the magazine to check how full it was. Just like Sousuke’s car, his gun was equally taken care of. Polished and oiled to perfection, Haru was impressed with the weapon in his hand.

“Your buddy has good taste,” he admitted, sliding the magazine back into place. Turning over to Rin, he noticed how pale he’d gotten. Drips of sweat were noticeable on his temple. His body drove stiff. “What? Nervous I’m going to use this on you?” When Rin didn’t answer, Haru laughed inwardly. “Don’t worry. I gave up weapons a long time ago.”

Rin was quiet for a few moments. Haru put the gun back into the glovebox and began watching the swiftly passing streetlights cast beams of light through the darkness. They streaked through the interior of the car like strobe lights. The systematic repetition seemed to dull his senses.

Interrupting the silence with a voice barely audible over the sound of the road, Rin asked, “Is that why you had a toy gun when you confronted the Abyss the other night?”

Haru smiled with a distant look in his eyes, though he didn’t answer.

“Take it with you.” The words were forced out of Rin’s mouth. A few seconds of silence spanned as he searched for the right words. “I can’t see you get hurt like that again.”

“No,” Haru replied a little too forcefully. Taking in a calming breath, he added, “Guns only kill people.”

Rin shook his head, his maroon eyes shining in the dark. “You’re wrong. Guns don’t kill people. People kill people.”

Stunned into silence, Haru’s eyes widened with shock. Being lectured by someone younger than him was one thing, but the realization that maybe his outlook on weapons was slightly askew nearly swept the breath from his body. His heart beat steadily in his chest, a pace much faster than he was used to. Instinctively, he brushed his fingers against the yellow fabric of his shirt just left of his sternum to make sure he wasn’t experiencing some sort of unnatural phenomenon. Turning away to hide the shock clearly etched into his face, Haru chose to look out the window for the remaining trip. Thankfully, within ten minutes, they were already driving through the narrowed streets of the Yellow’s territory.

“Park a few blocks away,” Haru suggested, still mulling over Rin’s words. Rin obliged. Pulling Sousuke’s car into an available parking spot on the side of the road, he put the car in park and shut off the engine. Only then he turned toward Haru, but Haru was looking beyond him. They may have been a few blocks away, but there was already a strange feeling in the air. The streets were devoid of people, even the stray cats seemingly vanished.

Popping open the door, Haru stood with one foot still inside the vehicle as he inspected his surroundings a little more thoroughly. The air felt damp. It clung to his body chilling him more than any typical early April weather would’ve. A cool breeze gently flowed down the street tousling his hair. It carried a distinct smell as it passed.

Sulfur.

_Shit._

Rin opened his door and stood the same, one foot in and one foot out.

Haru commanded harshly, “Stay in the car,” before fully exiting. He slammed the car door shut and began running. It was too early. Why would they attack at such a ridiculous hour? Did they want to get caught? Was this part of the trial? The smell of sulfur only meant one thing – someone fired a gun nearby, and it was recent too. Silently begging for everyone’s safety, Haru cut through an impossibly small gap between buildings and disappeared from Rin’s sight.

It opened up to the street running parallel with the bar. It was just as desolate as the previous road. Deafening heartbeat pounding in his ears, Haru turned left and ran straight for the next intersection where the police stormed the night this all began. Afraid of what he’d have to face the moment he turned the corner to the back alley, Haru refused to slow his pace. That was, until a stark gunshot rang through the air.

Dropping behind a nearby parked car, Haru attempted to locate where the shot came from. Were they firing at him? Or worse, someone else? After taking a few moments to calm his wild heart, he still couldn’t locate a single human being. He took the chance and continued. If they were firing at him, he’d most definitely hear another. Unless, that was the Abyss’ way of warning their other members someone was approaching. Bracing himself for the worst possible scenario, Haru crossed the remaining distance between him and the alley and pressed his back against the corner of the building that opened to the space between buildings. Crouching down, he peered around the corner.

Another gunshot rang through the air.


	9. The End?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure you all wish Sapphie a happy birthday!!! <3

_Part 9 – The End?_

Sunday, April 2nd

9:37 PM

Haru spilled into the alley as the brick above his head exploded from the bullet’s momentum. Stupid. Why were his feet carrying him toward the danger? He felt another bullet whiz past his leg. A few milliseconds later, the sound reached his ears. Yet, he still pushed on. People were now yelling. So much for the element of surprise. He reached Hiyori’s lackey that was clearly trying to kill him first. Swinging his legs out from underneath Hiyori’s pawn, Haru landed his elbow on the crown of his head instantly blacking him out. His unconscious body crumpled to the ground in a heap as Haru turned toward his next victim. His blond hair was bobbing up and down as he tried to run away from Haru. Maybe he was going to warn someone of his arrival since he looked like he was about to enter the bar. Other than the three of them, the alley was vacant.

Before he could reach his hand for the knob, Haru’s foot collided with the man’s back. He fell against the nearby dumpster creating a massive clanging noise that echoed throughout the evening air. Stunned at first, Hiyori’s second lackey was quick to regain his footing and retaliate. Blocking a few weak punches, Haru swung his fist at his face, this time hitting him with enough force to send him to the ground permanently. Waiting a few seconds to make sure he was unconscious, Haru proceeded forward.

Gripping the doorknob with bloodied knuckles to the back entrance of the bar, Haru wrenched open the door. Fueled almost entirely by anger, he pushed his way through the quiet kitchen with his heart pounding in his ears. No one was in sight. It didn’t bode well. Stomach tightening into suffocating knots, his hand landed on the last obstacle separating him from whatever, or whoever, was causing the turmoil between gangs. Without a second thought, he flung the door open and ten sets of eyes immediately fell on him.

Haru’s eyes met Hiyori’s paling face.

“Outside. _Now_ ,” Haru growled, pushing his way through the group to reach the Abyss leader all the while ignoring the strange and surprised looks he was receiving. When Hiyori didn’t make any attempt to move, Haru seized a fistful of his shirt and physically pulled him through the front door of the bar. Frantic and confused whispers overwhelmed the small space. As soon as Haru was through the door, he found the chilled evening air to be a bit of a blessing. Releasing his grip with a steady push, Hiyori stumbled a few paces back, still not fully comprehending the shock of Haru standing before him. Ikuya was by his side in seconds, face relaying just how dumbfounded he was of Haru’s presence. Asahi, Kisumi, and Goro were quick to fill in the gaps behind them.

“Haru!” Nagisa called to him with a joyous tone as the rest of his friends quickly ushered their way out the door to join them. They stood at his back, willing and able to continue the fight. A sense of calm passed over Haru. It was enough to tame the rampant anger pulsing rapidly through his veins. It was vital to keep a level head during these encounters. One wrong move could easily kill someone, and he’d never forgive himself if that happened.

“I thought you were in prison?” Natsuya asked from behind him. It was the question everyone wanted the answer to, so naturally, Natsuya was the first to voice it. Even though Haru couldn’t see his face, he could tell he was smiling.

“I was,” Haru replied, keeping a steady eye on Hiyori. “Miss me?” he asked the Abyss leader under his breath.

Intimidated and resentful, Hiyori finally found his bearings and pulled a gun from his waistband and pointed it at Haru’s chest. “How in the hell?” he hissed. Ikuya mimicked his actions and pulled a gun on Haru too. Silence unlike any other passed over the group. The small, steady splashes of raindrops hitting the pavement from the storm that was slowly rolling in filled the tense gap between them. No one dared to breathe.

“A magician never reveals his secrets,” Haru replied cheekily, hands tightening into fists. Remaining on his toes, he added, “I’m giving you one chance to back the fuck off. Take it or leave it.”

There was more nervous chatter, mostly from the Abyss members. The fearless front they were displaying at their headquarters the night before had dissipated as they shared nervous glances. Only Hiyori showed some semblance composure by firmly standing his ground.

Haru never considered himself a game changer, but everyone acted like he was untouchable. The cut on his chest and the one across his cheek were proof he bled just like everyone else, and the only real difference between him and them was his years of experience living on the streets. He’d been on his own from the beginning, and even now, the choices he made were with a solitary lifestyle in mind. There wasn’t room for intimate relationships. They only got in the way. Though it’s what his heart yearned for the most. Maybe that’s why he favored Rin as much as he did. It was a potential doorway out of the life he currently lived.

“We can’t let you leave here alive,” Asahi’s falsely intimidating voice called from behind Hiyori. He pulled a gun too, his face wincing from his wound. “We’ve come too far to stop now.”

“Ah, yes,” Haru breathed, rolling his shoulders. “The yakuza’s induction hazing is rather unreasonable this time around, don’t you think? Eh, Ikuya, tell me, why do you think they’re setting you up for failure?”

“They want you dead,” Hiyori spat as Ikuya’s face turned a sickly shade of green.

“Yes, but that’s not the entire reason,” Haru informed them.

“It’s a test,” Ikuya’s small voice finally piped.

Haru nodded. “They’re testing your strength as they force you to do their dirty work.”

“You’re lying,” Hiyori blurted. The fear in his eyes told a different story. Nearly everyone present had lived a small part of their life within the yakuza. Before the Second Uradome Yellows and the Abyss were just the Yellows, before the Yellow Phantom was a name well known in the Tokyo metropolis, before it all, everyone but Ikuya and Rei had lived some portion of their life serving under the strict hand of the yakuza. When they realized the underlying motives of the infamous group, however, they managed to escape due to Haru’s immense efforts. Unfortunately, it came with a heavy price, and since then the yakuza have wanted nothing more than a line of corpses for their mutiny – especially Haru’s.

Granted, over the past six years, their attempts became less serious as their attention was drawn elsewhere, but Haru always had a feeling their past would be back to haunt them. He never figured it would return in such an inert way. It still went to show how vast the yakuza’s network spanned, and how deeply embedded their hatred was toward them. To pin half a group against the other when they once were close friends…it was sickening. And what was worse, is that they knew it was one way to annihilate them all in one fell swoop.

“Think about it,” Haru said without restraint. “Rather convenient we’re all at each other’s throats, isn’t it?”

“Shut up,” Asahi snapped. “I’m tired of listening to you. You think you’re better than everyone else just because you’ve evaded the cops all your life. I’m done with your bullshit, Nanase. We all are.”

“Then toss your pitiful life away for all we care,” Natsuya bellowed back, though his burning golden eyes were held steady on his younger brother rather than the fiery redhead who spoke up. “I won't take responsibility for your terrible choices anymore.”

Hostility at an all time high, Haru carefully watched the stiffened movements of each member of the Abyss as he measured their motivation to break the unsteady peace temporarily holding each group at bay. Who would break the status quo? Who would be the one to make the first move? He hoped no one would, but his chances at walking out of this unscathed were slim to none. And here, the yakuza would win at the very game they invented.

Hiyori’s wrist twitched. It was so subtle. If Haru hadn’t been bracing himself for someone to crack, he probably would’ve missed it. Clearing the space between them in a flash, Haru gripped his wrist and brought his body within inches of Hiyori’s. His gun fired; the bullet hit the pavement at their feet scattering pieces of asphalt everywhere. Attempting to remove the gun from his grip, Haru tried twisting Hiyori’s arm behind him, pushing his stiff body completely around to aid in his attempt at disarming him. To no avail, however, Haru felt the other members of the Abyss closing in on the chaos around him, so he chose to remove himself from immediate danger. Raising his foot to the space between his body and Hiyori’s, Haru kicked him in the back as hard as he could. The momentum sent him sprawling to the ground. Hard. Haru tried once more to remove the weapon from his grip, sweeping his foot toward his right hand. At last, the gun came loose upon contact, skidding well out of reach from the both of them. Taking the small opportunity to assess the situation, Haru took a quick look around to make sure his friends were safe.

Most of the Yellows had found cover, dodging behind stray cars on the street, even running back into the bar to hide from further gunfire which thankfully had been kept to a minimum. Natsuya was still fighting Kisumi for control over the weapon in Kisumi’s hand. Somehow, Asahi had been knocked out, probably by Natsuya’s wicked right hook. Goro was, to Haru’s disbelief, standing further back and not showing any interest toward getting into this fight. It didn’t mean he wouldn’t jump in later, but it certainly calmed Haru’s nerves, even if it was only slightly. Counting four out of five, Haru nearly completed his full circle in search of the last remaining member of the Abyss.

Haru saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning defensively, his heart rose to his throat. Ikuya shoved the barrel of his gun into Haru’s chest. One flex of a single finger and Haru’s entire life would be over. No questions asked. But Ikuya hesitated. There was a seriousness in his eyes that set Haru on edge. With a few simple defensive moves, he could’ve disarmed him easily, but something seemed to root him to the ground, freezing the blood in his veins.

“Was it all a lie?” he asked, his voice barely recognizable over Natsuya and Kisumi’s struggle. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, moisture collecting in the corner of his amber eyes.

“Ikuya, please be rational,” Haru tried to object, but his voice fell flat. Of all the Abyss members present, Ikuya was the last one he wanted to hurt. They all had it coming, including him. Past choices, new choices, they all pointed down the path of self-destruction. And though Ikuya had forged his own route after inherently cutting ties with his brother, with all of them, he crossed the line after kidnapping Rin. His behavior was unacceptable. So why couldn’t Haru move?

“All your stories from the past, everything I grew up learning from you, was it all a lie?”

Not this. Not now.

Haru bit his cheek feeling the regret surging through every molecule in his body. Ikuya was thrown into this hellish world just as Haru had. He’d grown up only knowing the love their makeshift group could give. The only difference between his start and Haru’s was life within the yakuza. Natsuya refused to let his brother be tainted by them, but Haru didn’t have a choice in the matter. The yakuza were his first family whether he liked it or not. After their split, Ikuya was always asking about that life. Natsuya refused to talk about it, but every once in a while, Haru would tell a story. Unfortunately, the ones he chose painted them in a slightly brighter light, one Ikuya apparently hadn’t forgotten.

“No, but–”

Ikuya cut him off, anger rising in his voice, “Then why are you fighting us? Can’t you support our decision and let us go?”

“It’s not like that,” Haru said, noticing out of the corner of his eye Hiyori slowly getting back to his feet. He eyed the gun laying a few paces away. Clenching his teeth, Haru tried to reason with his surprisingly integral need to die prematurely by gunfire. “You don’t know the horrors we lived through. I didn’t want to scare you back then. Natsuya would’ve had a fit.”

“So, you do care about my wellbeing?”

“If you go down this road, you won’t come back,” Haru threatened, changing tactics. He didn’t want to play this game. Not now. Feeling his stomach swelling in his chest, nausea threatened his vision. Hiyori was finally on his feet again, intense eyes burning with anger.

_Move, goddammit._

“I know.”

Haru rocketed forward.

A single shot rang out. And then another. Haru found his body being pulled to the ground by an unseen force. Pain darkened his vision, but a voice clear as day could be heard calling through the night. Acting like a raft in a stormy sea, it somehow kept him conscious.

“Hands in the air! Get down on the ground!”

Multiple footsteps quickly stomped around him. Then a pair of hands were on his chest. Familiar hands. Moving into his line of sight was the distinctly untamed red hair of the only cop he was ever going to be eager to see. His chest swelled.

_Rin_.

“Oh no, no, no, no, no. You’re going to be okay. You’re going to be okay,” Rin breathed, more as a reassurance to himself. He ripped Haru’s shirt in order to get a better view of the wound. “Fuck it all to hell,” he hissed before calling out, “I need a paramedic!” Rin attempted to roll Haru on his side to get a look at his back. A few more cuss words escaped his lips. It was then Rin decided to put pressure on his wound. One hand on his back and the other on his chest.

“Stay with me, Haru. Stay with me.”

Haru brought his arm toward his throbbing shoulder. Warm liquid was gushing across his body, readily soaking through his stupid yellow shirt. Though it thankfully slowed now that the injury was being temporarily plugged. His fingers brushed against Rin’s warm hand.

“I told you to stay in the car.”

“ _You idiot_.” Rin choked out a pained laugh. “I heard multiple gunshots. I couldn’t just sit there and do nothing.”

Haru sighed, voices from various people chattering about barraged his ears. Nothing they were saying was very clear. They faded in and out. “You brought the whole fucking cavalry it seems.”

“What did you expect?” Rin spat, slightly hurt from his comment. “I called Sousuke and waited for him to arrive. Turns out he was busy organizing the whole goddamn department. It’s stupid really,” Rin dismayed, “It’s all really stupid. I’m sorry. I should’ve been here sooner.”

Vision blurring, Haru turned his attention onto Rin’s face. Tears were streaking down the redhead’s cheeks. He looked defeated, pitiful even. How could someone display so many emotions over a mere stranger? Bringing his hand toward Rin’s cheek, he brushed away the tears gently with his thumb. A smear of blood was left in his wake, standing out boldly against Rin’s pale features. Flinching, Haru dropped his arm weakly.

“Thank you.”

“You idiot,” Rin spat again, unable to do anything but press firmly against his wound. “You can’t say that like you–like you’re dying.”

Smiling with lidded eyes, Haru managed to wheeze, “It takes more than a single bullet wound to kill me, kid.” Succumbing to his internal fight, Haru let himself close his eyes as the numbing darkness quickly overtook his consciousness. Before long, despite Rin’s continual remarks begging for his response, his surroundings swirled into nothingness, just as painless as falling asleep.

~

The first noise plunging through his conscious was the steady beeping of a heart rate monitor. Lights, far too bright to be of any practical use, cut through the darkness, burning at his eyes begging for them to remain shut. Furrowing his brows, Haru attempted to turn away from them at first, but found his body heavy as if made from lead. Movements slow, Haru forced one of his eyes open. Everything was white. The walls were white, the ceiling was white, even the bedsheets were white. Begging to ask the question whether or not he was dead, his line of sight fell upon a mop of red hair occupying the space between his arm and the edge of the bed.

His body lurched.

An alarm immediately sounded, jolting Rin from his sleep. A nurse came flying through the door with a mildly concerned look on her face. Haru did his best to smile at her forgivingly, but found his eyes gravitating toward the visitor on his right. Now fully awake, Rin was smiling at him.

“Hey,” Rin sighed, rubbing the tiredness from his eyes.

“Hey,” Haru replied, his voice rugged.

The alarm ceased. The nurse turned toward Haru. “Try not to make any sudden moves. You’re still recovering from surgery. If you need anything, press the button by your bed and someone will be in to help you.” She turned and left at a much slower pace than her entrance. With the click of the door sliding back into place, they were left alone again.

Haru tried to sit himself up but was instantly floored by an intense, sharp pain originating near his shoulder. It quickly overwhelmed his whole system, freezing him in place. After a few struggling seconds, Rin helped him get comfortable. Pushing a few pillows behind his back, he returned to his seat at Haru’s bedside with something resembling humbled relief painted across his face.

“What happened?” Haru asked, reaching a hand toward his injured shoulder. Unexpectedly realizing his mouth was exceedingly dry, he licked his lips and looked around for a glass of water. Coming up empty handed, he turned back to Rin who was, to his surprise, unable to hold eye contact. “The last thing I remember I heard a gun fire, and then another. Then you were there. And then nothing.”

Rin rubbed the back of his neck and grimaced. “Well, you took a pretty bad hit,” he started before silence filled the gap between them. He didn’t seem too willing to continue. Almost like he was hiding something.

“What is it?” Haru dared to ask. 

“Well…” Rin hesitated again.

“Don’t give me that ‘well’ bullshit. What happened to me?”

Rin swallowed dryly. “I mean,” he sighed heavily, dropping his head into his hands, “it wasn’t my fault,” he finally blurted, his words slightly muffled by his palms. Raising his head to face Haru again, Rin was in total dismay. “You sort of launched yourself at Kirishima and I didn’t mean to. Tono was right behind you, aiming his gun at your back. I had to do something. You would’ve died if I hadn’t intervened.”

Haru stared at Rin trying to soak in the nonsense he was spewing. Still unable to piece together what happened, he asked again, this time with a near threatening tone, “What?”

“I was aiming at Tono I swear,” Rin added, then slowly as he cringed, “but I maybe hit your shoulder instead.”

Unable to say anything as he processed the truth, Haru stared Rin down. It ultimately made the distressed cop talk more, a tactic Haru realized was rather useful when engaging with his new confidant.

“The bullet that hit you actually hit Tono too, but it only clipped his arm. It did little to nothing to slow him down,” Rin paused to let the thought sink in. “So, I had to fire again. The second bullet hit his thigh. It sent him back to the ground and by that time the police were swarming him. They got him, Haru. They really got him this time. He’s going to pay for his crimes. All of them.”

Perplexed, Haru shook his head as a smirk he couldn’t hold back curled the corner of his lips. The fight was over. His family was going to be safe. Whatever happened to him now, he felt like he could weather it. Visibly relaxing, his body seared with pain again. Wincing, Haru croaked, “Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad you took the shot, but not once in the last twenty nine years of my life have I ever been arrested by the police nor shot by one.” He turned his head and leveled with Rin. Bitterly, he added, “And in the last forty eight hours, after meeting you no less, you’ve single handedly managed to do both.”

“I said I was sorry!” Rin cried, regret coating his voice. “Besides, you’re the idiot who left without a gun. Who rushes into a gun fight without a gun anyway? You were just asking for it.”

Haru couldn’t hold back his laughter anymore. Chuckling briefly before the pain stopped him, he recoiled violently, gripping at his shoulder until the ache diminished. Shaking his head, he turned to Rin and smiled genuinely. “I’m really glad you were at the bar that night.”

A blush appeared over Rin’s cheeks. He cleared his throat, dropped his eyes to the floor, and nervously tugged at his bangs hanging in his face. “I’m glad I bought you that drink.”

“And I’m glad you didn’t pull anyone else into your mess.” Through their chatter, neither of them realized someone opened the door. Mikoshiba appeared, hands crossed tightly over his chest. His expression seemed relaxed, yet stern. Sousuke followed silently behind him. “Welcome back to the living, phantom. Our boy here did a real number on you.”

Rin’s face ignited as Haru’s grin disappeared. Glancing discerningly between Mikoshiba and Sousuke, Haru gritted his teeth and slowly pushed his body off the supporting pillows behind him and raised both arms toward the two cops. Angling his wrists together, he regretfully said, “A promise is a promise.” Haru grimaced feeling the pain surging through his body. The fight was over, there was nothing left for him to do but give himself back up to the police. The less he fought, the better it would be for Rin. He’d asked too much of the rookie cop already, it wouldn’t be wise to fight for his freedom now. On top of that, Haru would be beside himself if he found out Rin lost his job because of him. Or worse, faced a prison sentence like his own.

“Good news, you little punk,” Mikoshiba began as a smile broke his unyielding expression, “New evidence to the prosecutor suggests someone else might be behind the attack and murder of our fine officer. Where you’re no longer seeking death at the end of a noose, you’re not off the hook either. Since you forced one of our officers to help you break out of prison, you’re still looking at prison time. At least you won’t be hanged for something you didn’t do.”

Raising a questionable eyebrow at Tokyo’s police chief, Haru slowly lowered his arms.

“We’ll get the formal arrest the day you’re released from the hospital. You’ll be spending a lot of time behind bars for the next few years. Hope you’re ready to saddle up, partner.”

Haru saw Rin visibly cringe out of the corner of his eye. Shaking his head at the prospect, a small part of him was relieved his life wasn’t about to end. The idea of spending time in jail irked him though, especially with Mikoshiba leading the pack. But it was a very small price to pay for Rin’s reputation and a life free of delinquency.

“Visiting hours are between 11 and 2 every day,” Mikoshiba said with a deep belly laugh.

Rin looked like he was about to pass out. Drawn speechless, Haru sighed and rolled his eyes. There were worse things in the world, he just had to remember the positives. He wasn’t about to die for a crime he didn’t commit. He’d get to see Rin regularly, unless Mikoshiba had something to say about it. Face sagging, he groaned and dropped against the pillows feeling absolutely defeated. With Mikoshiba still laughing at his own joke, Haru was beginning to think this situation might be worse than the death penalty. Then something warm brushed his hand. Turning to look, Rin’s flustered smile greeted him warmly. Fingers curling around Rin’s, his infectious smile took hold of Haru’s dismal expression.

Freedom could not come soon enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, I'm sorry. Did I just give you 37k without a single kiss? Yes. Yes I did. And, no, I'm not actually sorry about it. >:D
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed! Thanks again for reading!!


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